He's Totally Clueless
by RukiaRocks
Summary: Karin works at Otaku Cafe that serves not only real people, but avatars in the ever popular game, REM. While serving an avatar, she stumbles upon a hidden quest. There, a computer character steals her first kiss. Is she falling for this heap of data?
1. My New Pet

My New Pet

Business was slow lately, probably because the seniors quit. Perverts now a-days only care for the older ones I suppose. No tiny under-developed 11 year olds. But that's not the reason why I'm here, my job is the only normal job out there. But Yuzu asked so..

It has been a few months since my school's council was stupid enough to create the RCO. RCO standing for Required Community Occupation. In the official issuing of the RCO, all students from 5th grade and above, with approval from their parents, are allowed to choose a job from various listings and volunteer for work. They work on this job until the business is no longer in need of them or until the school year ends. All businesses that apply to be on the list of jobs must be appropriate and safe for the students in order to be approved as a choice..What I don't get..Is how this business was ever even considered safe...

But I had gotten used to it...Slowly... To my new change, I mean. My dad obviously approved of my RCO. So now..We're all doing various jobs. Mine, not the best in the world, but the only one that seemed appealing.

I pulled my hair through the ponytail holder two more times and made sure to take off my mother's necklace. I almost lost it last time... When I was done getting dressed I was sure to look over myself in the mirror to make sure I'm not wearing any loose jewelry or sweat bands. I'm wearing my usual work shirt, a white t-shirt with several stains all over it. And my shorts where a bit longer than the ones I wore last time, they reached halfway down my thighs and where made of denim. Hopefully today, these wouldn't stain as well..

I tapped the tip of my shoes to the ground and make sure the laces were tight. And as I trace over what I did today, I noticed I might have some math homework left..But I quickly pushed that thought away because I was already late for my RCO.

It was just past 5 when I stumbled over to the job site. This, was where I work.

I scaled over the run down old gas station and sighed, we already had 3 or 4 cars at the wash station. And the only person that was here was with repairs..

My RCO was a car washer. All the other jobs where working at cafes and other girly crap like that. Business was slow now because, as I said, the senior girls who used to work at this station all left. And as such, all our regular perverted customers don't come. Because, now that the seniors' shift had rotated back to 5th grade, I was actually the only girl on the wash team. Everyone else was just on my soccer team; boys at that.

There were some senior guys, but they worked in Auto Repairs, so we could always ask them for help when a customer was being difficult. But I had been working at this job for a few months now, it wasn't the change I was getting used to..In fact, what I was getting used to started a few weeks ago.

After I finished washing all my cars and half my RCO shift was over, I quickly alerted the washing team, "I'm heading out now!"

"Sure, thanks for the help," Someone responded.

And without hesitating, I quickly sprinted for the cafe.

My sister and I both have jobs, she works at Otaku Cafe. And a few weeks ago, she asked me if I could help her. And even though I didn't want to, here I am.

I busted through the back doors to the cafe and was immediately swamped by the other employees. I pull my ponytail out as they swiftly help me strip down.

"Welcome back Karin!" Yuzu yelled from the doorway. She walked into the kitchen and entered in an order to the NPC.

I grabbed my outfit off the counter and change into it as fast as I could. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I make sure everything was in order. The mini hat, the lace shirt, the black corset and the bow. The black mini skirt and the white apron. Everything was in order..I was actually getting good at putting this on? That's kinda creepy..

As I walked out of the bathroom Yuzu yelled again, "Remember the perfume!"

"Ah! I hate that junk!" I pouted as I snag the perfume off the counter and spray it on myself.

Brushing my apron off a second time, I forced open the door to the bathroom again and grabbed my notepad to take the orders.

So then, you can meet me. I'm 11 years old. I have black hair and dark blue eyes and obviously, I'm a girl. My RCO jobs are car washing and being a maid at Otaku Cafe. I'm in 5th grade. Oh and I guess I forgot to say hi. My name is Karin Kurosaki and I have what I call..A very interesting job..

I walked into the cafe and looked over everyone. Seemed like it was game hour because everyone had their head sets on.

"Karin, you ready to go in?" One of the other maids asked.

"Yeah, is there a spare headset?" I asked

"Use mine, I need a break," She said, handing me the chrome headphones with the eye visor.

"Thanks," I say, taking the headset.

I sat in the wooden chair in the corner of the room and put on the headset.

* * *

_In the game_

"**Notice: Player Kurai-Hime has logged in. Current location: Otaku Cafe. Level: 1," **the auto announcer voiced.

I shook my head ferociously. I was still not used to this long hair..Or even this body for that matter..

Oh right, I forgot to mention. Otaku Cafe is unique. That's because it has hourly shifts. On even hours, the Otaku Cafe is open to real life people and we feed them real food; on odd hours, the otaku cafe serves the avatars of REM, the latest role playing PVP game of our age. REM Stands for Rapid Eye Movement, which is what happens when you dream, and also what happens when you put on the REM headset. Because this game allowed you to play with others around the world and allowed you to control a second body, it sends you into a sleeping state. This was precautionary simply because it confuses your brain when it has to think about moving your avatar as apposed to your real body.

My username is Kurai-hime, better known as Dark Princess. I play this game only for the shifts in the cafe. I don't play it for the actual game. That's why I'm level 1, and that's why I have no idea what the rest of this world looked like.

I again, looked myself over in the mirror. I wasn't used to this version of myself. I was, what? 5 inches taller? And I looked like a prissy little innocent teenager. Maybe 15 or 16..And goodness I wasn't used to these boobs either.. But the age acceleration was required for all maids. I was supposed to be in my 20s..But this character looks so much younger. It's scary to think this is what I would look like I college. I mean, look at my long hair..And am I wearing makeup!

"Excuse me! Can I get some dumplings!" A customer yelled.

I snapped out of my trance and walked out to the waiting person.

All around me I could see the green '+ 50 HP' and '+100HP' all around me. This game was just too much like real life to get used to all these weird game qualities. Elves were the least strange in this game. Off the top of my head I can say there are vampires, humans, demons, soul pipers, angels, arc angels, Elves, Nymphs...And I wanted to say you could be certain animals too. Hell! I bet you could be a tree, but none of them come into the cafe..

"Dumplings, sir?" I specified.

"Yes, yes, here's the money," He says, handing me 2 silver coins.

"They'll be right out, sir," I take the money and make my way over to the kitchen. The cafe on REM is far bigger than our one in real life, so naturally Otaku cafe is also known as Maid's Healing on the game because we got so big we couldn't be a cafe under REM's rules. So now we're a restaurant..

"Dumplings!" I said sternly.

And by the rules of REM, all restaurants are required to have an NPC chef. The only thing the chef does is create our meals extra fast. They taste the same, and they never take more than 8 seconds to make.

NPCs are non player characters. So basically all the monsters you kill to level and all the bosses, they're all just heaps of data. Fake characters. Though they say there are secret NPCs that actually have an almost real consciousness on this game and they actually have the ability to learn and act on impulse. I'll never know if they actually exist though..

"Dumplings being created shortly," The NPC said robotically.

I walked back out to my section of the cafe and served more people. This is what I do every day. And I normally get to serve one hour of real people and one hour of avatars, then I have to go back home..

"Excuse me! Waitress!" A woman elf yelled.

"Coming, ma'am!" I said, quickly rushing over.

I stopped in front of her and opened my mouth to say something but then I was frozen. Was it a glitch in the headset? No..What was going on? Then, I blinked, and I'm in dark cave...What is going on with this game? Did I accidentally stepped on someone's portal dot? But those things are expensive and rare. Who would randomly drop one of those on the ground?

"**Congratulations! You have been selected for a hidden quest!"** The auto announcer said, **"Unfortunately, because of this, you will not be allow to log out until this quest is completed or failed. You may take the time to PM anyone you'd like now. And when you are ready, be sure to call out clearly, the word 'ready'." **

What? I was only level 1, I couldn't do a hidden quest, those things are for level 200 and above. Why was I selected?

I immediately PMd Yuzu.

_Yuzu._

_Karin? What happened! I can't see you anywhere!_

_The announce said I've triggered a hidden quest..I can't log out until I complete it, so can you go home and tell Dad I'll be late?_

_Hidden quest! There's no way you could complete that in the first place! You'll never be able to log out! You don't even have a weapon-_

_I know, I know, I've got to go now, can you tell dad and the others? _

_Sure, be safe. It's ok if you die because you're level 1 anyway._

_See ya._

_Bye._

"Ready." I said.

"**Good. Now I will proceed with the details of this quest. Hidden quests are extremely hard and this particular quest takes about 2 hours. We are in an alternate universe so you will not find any other players; therefore all the avatars you will see from here on out will be NPCs. You are now in the cave of the Ice Lord. He reigns over the little town in which you have stumbled upon. You have been hired by the people of that town to kill the Ice Lord. That is your quest- Defeat the Ice Lord and you will be rewarded,"** The Announcer explainsed

"Methods of defeating?" I asked the announcer.

"**No data found."** The announcer responded.

"Location of Ice Lord," I commanded.

"**Current Location,"** the announcer replied.

"You're no help at all!" I yelled at the ceiling.

But then I heard it, "-150 HP!"

And when I glanced back there was a sword running diagonally through my back. At level one I only have 170 HP, and this monster just took nearly all of it! And I bet that was a weak attack.

I stumbled back and there it was, the new patch that came out last week kicked in. Pain. It was a prototype, but I could still feel the slash, even though it wasn't real. A sharp sting. It didn't really hurt that much. That was because the patch wasn't perfected. And the patch of feeling was major break through in technology, you shouldn't be able to feel in any game.. Yet I doubted a bee sting is what a sword slash is supposed to feel like.

I was still immobilized when the auto movement kicks in. You can't move as smoothly after your HP is cut more than half; and I only have 20 percent left. If I died..Wait..if I died nothing would happen since I'm level 1. I suppose that means I was chosen for this quest because I'm someone who can't die when you die you go back to the starting point., or welcome island, to be resurrected. But I was level 1 and already a starting character so..I couldn't be killed!

I fell forward and landed on my hands and knees, panting. It looks like my avatar is reacting to the real paint, it doesn't hurt that much though.

"What are you doing in my territory, woman?" I heard behind me.

And when I was finally able to slide my eyes back I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He was not like any boss monster I had ever seen..He looked like...Like a player!

White, spiky hair. Between 17 and 18..And bright, beautiful teal eyes. They stared at me coldly, as if bored and irritated with my presence. He had the sword that slashed be on his shoulder, and he was carelessly sticking his other hand in his white shihakshou.

I wasn't not going to answer because NPCs are not programed to respond to anything but a select phrase or phrases. And I didn't know those phrases because this was not a quest I'm prepared for. Damn my bad luck!

"I asked you why you're here, woman. I expect you to answer," He coldly lifted me up by my hair. Ow, not that, the patch nailed, that really hurts. But I couldn't move because of the auto movement. My avatar was acting on behalf of what my body should really do if I got an injury like before to my back.

"Y-you don't really care no matter what I say," I responded.

"For you to be fresh with the Ice Lord, are you looking to die," He asked.

Woah, did I actually say the right phrase? Or could he perhaps be..One of the NPCs that are...Like players? No, those don't exist..

Let's test it.

"I'm level one you idiot, I can't die, and even if I did, I'd still re-appear here," I sneered. Good. Something about levels is completely person and there's no what what I said was a phrase.

"So then it is true.." He mumbled to himself, throwing me, like a rag doll, to the edge of the cave.

Bothered by something, he sheathed his sword and sat on the bolder in front of the cave's corridor. He runs his finger through his hair and sighed.

My eyes widened, so he is one of those NPCs..He's self aware!

When would this stupid auto movement stop? I have to really fight to move.

Slowly, I quivered upward and drag my body over to the guy.

"Look..I can't log off until I complete this quest..." I began.

"What's it like? That place all of the players talk about?" He asks.

Again, I was surprised, "What?"

"Each person who came through here wished to kill me. And in time, this seemed strange because I have never done anything to anyone, but I always said the same things to them, and I also thought of them as enemies even when we just met. Until finally..I'd ask them, before I killed them, about things about why they wanted to defeat me. They said that I existed as a non-player. And that the reason I did the same things over an over was because I was programed to do so..They said that they were players and they live in a world that created the whole world I live in. And I am just meant to follow orders.." He explained, "This isn't real...There's no way.." He denied.

He's able to absorb and have interest and suspect! He's..He's doing something that wasn't programed of him... What if the directors of REM found out? Was he meant to be self-aware or..

"What is that place like, the world of the gods which created me?" He questioned again.

I make an effort to say something, but I ended up just blowing off what he said, "Do you want to know?" I asked.

"Quite obviously, yes." He replied

"Then admit defeat to me. I'll tell you all about it then," I said

"You think you're in any position to bribe me? I can kill you at any moment," He stated.

"Then why are you still talking to me?" I questioned.

He didn't respond and continues to look at the ground.

Then in a sudden outburst, he got up and leans over me. He squatted down so low that his face was right up to mine.

With that same cold stare he asked, "What makes you so special? You look just like any other woman and you're even weaker than me..Yet you're a god?" He examined me, sliding his eyes down my figure and back up.

That gaze..It was so relentlessly cruel. But even his eyes denied the system. Because in them I could see a hint of curiosity and innocence..And loneliness. Because he had a computer, he's never left the cave I was standing in..He's never seen the world which he existed in.. I pitied him for that.

"Why is it you care so much about who we are?" I asked, "True it denies everything you know, but your gods are so far up, what's the point trying to grasp at them? Just live the life you know you've got."

Great..Now I sound like my brother. Always harping on us about religion. But I guess on this game it would be different, with gods in the same room as you; creators right beside you. Of course you'd have questions to ask..I wondered what that would be like in real life.

I waited for him to come up with some sort of clever answer but instead,"What is life?" The ice lord asked.

"What do you mean, what is life! Aren't you supposed to be a super smart computer character!" I yelled. I was getting irritated, why couldn't I just log off already! I'd been on for longer than I want to.

"You talk a lot more than the others did," He began before realizing something and questioning,"How do you do that?"

"Huh?" I began, "Do what?"

"I can't..I can't do that.." He fell back on his butt and puts his hand on his crest, making weird sounds. But then I notice it, he couldn't raise his voice.

I tilt my head. Could he possibly not know anything but what was programed into him. If so, he was just like an infant that can speak..

I closed my eyes, "Raise you voice," I said, "Yell."

"What..How do I do that?" He asked.

"Come here," I tried to motion my finger in, but I still couldn't move because of the auto movement.

He did as commanded.

I went and tugged on his ear. He winced, but didn't cry out.

"Do you not like it?" I asked.

"Yes," He mustered, "I don't like it.."

"Then get mad and raise your voice! Things that really bother you; raise your voice at them!" I encourage.

"How do you do that?" He asked, once more.

"You can cry out in pain, can't you?" I questioned. I mean, he has to have a scream of agony when he was defeated. Obviously what I was saying wasn't getting through..So I thought for a second and then an idea came.

"Yes..But-"

"Alright, now apply that same tone of voice to the way you speak," I advised.

He thought for a second and then began quickly, "I-I DON'T LIKE PAIN!"

I winced at how loud he was..

"Are you trying to say that what I did hurt?" I asked.

"Hurt? What's that?" He ashed..Really? How uneducated.

I smiled evilly, this was my chance, "I'll tell you if you admit defeat."

"Will you tell me more things..Will you show me how to do more things?" He asked, childishly.

"Only if you admit defeat," I repeated.

"But I.." He began,"You have to kill me to do that.." Did he figure it out?

"No, I think you have something special in your system, I've read about it, NPCs that are self aware can say things of their own will. If you can say, 'I admit defeat' than a different ending to the quest might appear," I informed. Nice excuse.

"So..I'm a self aware NPC.." He confirmed, but then he shook his head and got back on topic, "I, Ice Lord, admit defeat to..What's you name again?" He asked.

"I'm Kurai-Hime," I told him...Maybe I should've said Karin

"I admit defeat to Kurai-Hime," He finished.

"**Notice: The hidden quest of the Ice Lord has been completed by Kurai-Hime. The alternate completion of this ultra rare quest has taken effect. Ice Lord will now be reduced to level 300 and become the pet of Kurai-Hime. He will no longer be available as a quest and does now belong to said player." **The announcer said, **"In addition, Kurai-hime will adopt his reduced levels."**

"**Notice: Kurai-hime is now level 201. Current HP: 40000/40000,"**

"**Notice: Ice Lord is now Kurai-hime's pet. Please name him now," **The announce said.

He and I stared at each other. And as the beam of light, that comes when someone levels, passed over me, I regained my HP and was fully healed.

"You're my...Pet?"

And even though he was just as astonished as I was, he automatically bowed and said, "I live to serve you, master," In an automatic reply. WHAT THE-!

"What..What's going on. I'm a what? Where am I going to.." He said, getting up off the ground. I suppose he didn't know about his auto system..I'd have to let him know about that later.

"I don't know, I suppose I was right about the admitting defeat thing working, but I didn't know this was the alternate completion!" I said in earnest.

Then another auto response kicks in, probably beyond his control. I needed to turn the auto system off!

He grabbed my hand and pulled me in close to him.

"Woman, I am eternally grateful to you for sparing my life, allow me to thank you," He says, his eyes looking dazzling and charmingly cold.

"What? Hey Ice lord you-"

He quickly pushed me into him and I felt my lips touch his. _What in the! _I blushed quite madly.

I tried to pull away and I mutter while trying to turn my head away, "Ice-" Each time he pulls me back in so I only muttered that and, "What-".

What was going on? Was I..Having my first kiss with and NPC? A chunk of data...Was this fake? Should I even count it as a kiss?

But the creators of REM must be real sickos, they really knew how to program a good kisser..And the new patch definitely got the feel down, because I was shaking all over. There was something traveling down my spine, it felt great and I want more. Wait a second..What is this..What in the..

He opened his mouth slightly and touched his tongue to my lip and ever so slowly goes inside my mouth. What in the hell! Was he french kissing me? Sensing that I was tensing up, he pulls back and doesn't do anything after that..Until my auto system kicks in(DAMN IT I THOUGH I TURNED IT OFF!), which is what helps newbies in quests by doing a few select things the way it's supposed to be done. Which totally sucked for my situation, because it seemed as though the REM administrators watching me were real pervs. I bet they turned on my Auto System just for kicks!

The Ice Lord started to pull away, his auto actions seeming to wear off, but my auto actions (damn you administrators!)kicked in. I grab his shihakshou and pull his back in and kiss him instead. And we continue from where we left off, his auto actions kicking in and doing things the way "they're supposed to be." He playfully slid his tongue in my mouth and I did the same. God I can't believe my avatar was doing this.. I can't believe I'm feeling this. It's so gross! But it feels really..Really..Good...

I could feel the little details. Like how firm his body was against mine, because we were so close it was almost as if two boards were up against each other. I was 11 years old, and I couldn't be rubbing up against him, like my avatar was now, if I tried. Occasionally we stopped briefly. Nose to nose, taking deep pants. And then it started up again. AH! This felt so gross! GAWH-!

Struggling with my auto system, I tried to pull away several times, but any struggle I had in me faded when I felt that tingle down my spine again. I wanted that again, that feeling it-

"**Repeat: Please name your pet,"** The Announcer said.

And that snapped both our auto systems off. When pulled away immediately.

"What in the hell was that?" The Ice Lord asked wiping the side of his mouth.

I was mad now. I think a pile of data just stole my first kiss(kisses perhaps!). I thought..He was really..Really irritating.

"You just stole my first kiss you ass!" I exclaimed.

"I'm not a donkey," He informed.

I was about to explode with anger by now..But when I looked at his expression; he looked totally clueless again, like a little boy. What in the heck is with this aura change? One minute he felt like a Italian stripper..And now an innocent child?

"**Repeat: Please name your pet," **The announcer said once more.

"My name is Ice Lord," He said.

"No it's not, I'll decide!" I said sternly.

"Announcer, does a pet's name have to be unique from all others?" Meaning, I was asking the announcer if pets also have to have usernames.

"**No, all names can be chosen,"** It responded.

I looked back at the Ice Lord who was still messing with his lips, perplexed by what just happened.

"I want to be able to call him Shiro-chan because of his white hair.." I began slowly, "And I think a name that's the opposite of his true character would be nice. Because his personality changes so often, a name that is nothing like him at all should be in order.." I mumbled.

"Clueless yet Clever.." I whispered.

"Announcer!" I turned back up to the ceiling.

"**Command?"** The announcer responded.

"Enter name: Toshiro," I commanded. I felt proud I came up with that name. It had Shiro in it..And it meant clever!

"**Confirmed. Notice: Ice Lord is now Toshiro," **the announcer said.

"Toshiro? What is that?" He asked, briefly halting his obsession with his lips.

"It's your new name. It means wise and clever," I smiled.

"But I don't like that na- That's a wonderful name, master," His auto system said.

"Announcer, Is there a way to turn off the auto system on my pet?" I asked.

"**Pets do not have auto settings. Pets are NPCs,"** The Announcer said.

I felt so stupid for asking that question...Of course he didn't have an auto system because he was not supposed to be a player. He wasn't supposed to think and be able to control his body outside of his programing..

"**Quest Completed! Enabled actions: Log out, relocation, location dots, and-"**

"So are you going to tell me more things-" The Ice lor- I mean, Toshiro began.

But before he could say anything I logged out.

* * *

_ Out of Game_

I soaked in the bath tub and sighed as I turn off the faucet.

I wondered if I did a bad thing by logging out. Was my pet online 24/7? What should I care! He stole my first kiss!

My hands trailed over my lips. I could still feel them shivering now, even when I was not on REM. That game sucks..I should've just quit it. But my job..

The problem is otaku cafe..I couldn't just leave it..And what was I going to do with this new pet? It's total waist to have a level 300 following me around like a body guard. _And if I adopted his reduced levels..And I'm level 200..He was level 500 when I met him! Then how did he not kill me with that slash? What, is he merciful?_

I felt sore from sitting in that chair for so long..I'd never been on REM for more than an hour at a time. My body must be sore from being in dream mode for so long.

Man..My new pet was going to be like an annoying baby brother, I just knew it. Well I was just glad he doesn't exist in real life. I sighed and lean back in the warm water. If worst comes to worst I could just delete my account.

But what I really didn't like..Was that feeling I got when he kissed me. Is that..Normal? I wouldn't know..but it still ticked me off.

"Karin!" Yuzu exclaimed, bursting through the door.

I yelped, jumped up in the water, and cover myself up.

"You're on TV!" She yelled.

"What?" I asked, getting out of the water and grabbing a towel.

And it was true, when I stepped out in to the living room ,hair still done up on top of my head, I was on the game channel. Except it was my avatar.

"The ever popular break through game most commonly known as REM has had a very lucky player today. A level one avatar by the username of Kurai-Hime worked from the hours of 7 to 9 every evening at a very special restaurant in the game. She was randomly chosen for a hidden quest. And with a stroke of luck, she managed to gain 200 levels as well as acquired the famed and fabled Ice Lord as her pet. The Ice Lord's current name is Toshiro which some say is a refrence to his personality, his original name, or perhaps a feature on his body. Players that are jealous or envious are searching for this Hime-sama all over the game in hopes of meeting her for various reasons. I don't know about you, but that is one lucky girl," The reporter said while several shots of what I look like in my maid outfit fly by.

"On another not, the cafe in which this special player lives exists within our community and REM as well and is in fact owned by the same player who-" The reporter began, but his voice faded.

Yuzu said in astonishment, "How did you pull it off?"

"I triggered an alternate completion. Instead of defeating him, all I had to do was talk to him and make him say he admitted defeat... But, you know how people are talking about the NPCs on SEM having really advanced almost artificial intelligence and self awareness?" I questioned. I couldn't hold that day's discovery in.

"Yeah, but it's all fake because our chef on the game isn-"

"That's because they didn't program him with the command to be 'intelligent'. My new pet, the Ice Lord, he could do things I've never seen. He asked me what it was like were we live. That mean here, in the real world. He was aware that he was being forced to do everything he was programed to do. He was also curious as to what life was and how to do simple things like raise his voice. I think..He's some sort of super amazing NPC," I told her.

"Well then don't tell anyone else about it," Ichi-nii began, clicking through the channels on the TV, "If he's really gone beyond the control of REM, then as soon as they find out, they'll delete that Ice Lord and replace him with another, making sure that he won't outsmart the system again," He explained.

"Technology is evolving, I wouldn't be surprised if he was really amazing, but even if he is an exception and his programing is favored in the eyes of society, he'd still be taken away from the game and his data broken down. So honest, this pet you have, shouldn't be talked about," He advised.

"So tell me, what is he like?" Yuzu said, ignoring Ichi-nii.

"Um..White hair..Teal eyes..White shihakshou...And um.."

"No, I mean is he cute? Sexy? Handsome? A pretty boy? What's he like?" She asked.

"He's an NPC, how could you even ask that? You were never interested in guys," I said, blushing.

"No, I'm not interested in guys, but I know you are now. Look at how you're blushing!" She laughed.

"It's not like that it's just that he.." I suddenly remembered when he kissed me and I grow even more red.

"I bet he's so much like a player that you've fallen for him," She giggled.

"If that happens, I'll delete my own account. No one is stupid enough to fall in love with a heep of data," I said weakly, "Right?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**This is my first story that I intend to finish in one book. It will probably be around 10 chapters..Do you like it? Please review, I want to see what you think!**

**Love ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	2. Modeling

Modeling

"Stop following me!" I snapped.

"You're my master, I have to follow you," He explained.

I sighed and turned around. This was my first day logging back in since the hidden quest. And already this new pet was becoming a problem. Because I kept forgetting the fact he was my pet. One minute, I was trying to train him like a dog, and the next I was contemplating kicking him for fear he was a stalker.

"I have costumers to serve. If you blindly follow me around like a lost puppy, I'll definitely loose popularity with my clients," I explained.

"Well shouldn't it help you, I do look like a player, right? It just means one more person who's in favor of you," He argued.

True..With his looks he'd bring in more girls if he were working here. And just the fact he looked like a player made it seem like he was interested in mediocre me, thus I'd have more costumers because I was popular with better looking guys. Fat buffoons like to think the girls their with make them more attractive or something. This guy was clueless enough to be amazed by food, but smart enough to convince me into letting him be my stalker? His personality was so contradicting..Because it was as if he knew some abstract things better than I did, but he doesn't 'understand' them. I didn't think he understood why the costumers come here, or why certain people only come to me, he just understood it as a business. But in truth, this restaurant is for pervert guys who like having pretty girls flirt with them..

"Look..Just try not to make a scene," I said reluctantly.

"I'm not filming a movie.." He began.

"It's a figure of speech. It means, don't bring to much attention to yourself," I explained.

My corner of the restaurant was packed full. In fact, being the first one online, I was the first to see everything. Otaku Cafe in the real world hands out REM headsets on odd hours to the customers. This is because, at that time, all the customers switch to their REM avatars and replenish their HP at Maid's Healing, our restaurant on the game. And when I had come in this morning(it's Sunday, and Sunday shifts are from 10 to 3), there didn't seem to be too many people. Our normal rate of clientele.. But now, as I was in the game itself, Tons of people that are not in Otaku Cafe are pouring in the doors. They all piled in my section of the restaurant and some even stood in the door way. What was going on?

"So it is true! The legendary Ice Lord is now a maid's pet!" A man said walking up to me. He was an elf, and he seemed to tower over both me and The Ice lord- I mean,Toshiro. And even though he was heavily armored and quite honestly very scary, he looked like he was weaker than me. In fact, my auto system was confirming it. There would be a lot of people now that would be weaker than me, that was because I was now level 200..

"Sir, if you're not going to order something, I suggest you leave my master alone," Toshiro said rather spontaneously. What was with this mood change again. It was like his auto setting, though he didn't really have one. It was when he battled, or when a programing is overwriting his common sense. This icy cold aura starts to be present, and his eyes just suddenly turn empty.

"An NPC that can respond to phrases outside of his programing, now that is an interesting find," The elf guy observed.

Tch. He was sharp. I couldn't let Toshiro talk so freely now, I should confront him later about acting like a regular NPC. Like Ichi-nii said, if he was reported to an administrator, he would be deleted..

"Go on, do it again, reply to my words. It's quite interesting," He urged.

Toshiro opens his mouth to say something but a reachd behind me and tug on his shihakshou. He immediately shut his mouth and looked down at me curiously. Man I was a freaking midget in this crowd, I thought being taller was cool but, now I was still short compared to the other people on this game..

"Maybe you should visit your mother sometime, Mr. because you seem to have no manners at all. I don't know about you, but where I come from, we introduce ourselves before profiling others like criminals," I stated, pushing Toshiro back so that he didn't step in the fight.

"Forgive my rudeness," He said, bowing, "My occupation for REM is that of the journalist. I happen to write the news report for the entire world of REM. I am in need of a headline, you see. And a level one maid, scoring big, by nothing but a fluke, now that is a story, don't you agree," He began.

"Tell me, do you honestly think all those people behind me are your customers?" He asked.

My eyes widened, "..They..But I thought.." I was just on the game channel, how many people watched that!

"They could be anything from players with a model manager occupation to a level 700 hunter who's ready to challenge you and your pet. In case you haven't noticed, you my dear, are now famous," He laughed.

"And it's all because of that NPC behind you," He pointed back to where Toshiro was standing, dumb founded by how he had anything to do with this.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Any further conversing with my employ and I will have you kicked out of the game before you can say 'verbally abused'," I heard from behind me.

"You are now quite famous yourself. The brilliant former model who connected her Cafe to the ever popular game, REM," The elf guy admitted.

"...Then I'll be on my way.." He said reluctantly, under her intense glare.

She shot looks at him until he stepped out the door. And then, without hesitation, she shrieked,

"MAID'S HEALING IS CLOSED! SO GET OUT OF HERE YOU LAZY-ASS REPORTERS!"

She ran up to them and shooed them away like chickens. And after they had all fled out the door, she locked it and turned back to me.

I still couldn't keep my eyes off of her after all these years. Although in real life she was retired, this was how she looked in her teens. A former model, she stood tall in her petite body. Today, her pink hair was tightly curled in two pig tails that reached just past her shoulders. She fooled with her bangs and swiped them out of her Magenta eyes. This was Ichigo. And yeah, she had the same name as Ichi-nii. And yeah, she actually looks exactly like her avatar except for her hair which is actually blond. Otherwise, the 5ft 2, cute button nose, don't hurt me, look really was her. Ichigo was the manager. The creator of Otaku Cafe as well as Maid's Healing. My boss. My friend. And ironically, not a cute species at all. On REM, she was a vampire. Not a fairy, or an elf, no she was a pale skinned villain. At least, to my species. Which was the human.

* * *

"So..Hello there, Toshiro-kun," Ichigo smiled.

"Oh wow, you where right Karin, he's totally ho-" I pulled Yuzu's ear so she wouldn't speak any further.

Toshiro sat in silence. Astonished. In front of the gathering of all of the maid, his curious teal eyes trailed over all of us.

As I gazed over everyone, I noticed none of them were wearing our usual uniform. Instead, they were all wearing different maid outfits. Custom and..

"So as you can see, we've gotten a bit of a wardrobe change...This is thanks to the incident with the hidden quest," Ichigo explained.

"After you were on the game channel, we received quite a substantial 'donation'. Half of it goes into Otaku Cafe. And the other into Maid's Healing. And as you can see, we have used some of the money to buy ourselves better virtual attire," She continued.

"So then..What the reporter guy said was true..I'm famous for being on the dork channel?" I asked.

"Yep," She said, leaning back in her chair, "But so is Otaku Cafe," She smiled.

"We'll be getting more an more customers from now on, girls, not only our regular customers that we serve in real life, but nameless people from all over the world. That is why I've called you here today. And also, because we have a new opportunity coming on," Ichigo said, leaning forward.

"The donation we received came with a condition. It was, that we were to have a photo shoot with the donor and let the cafe as well as Toshiro-kun and Karin-Chan be featured in the virtual and reality REM magazines," She explained.

That was a lot of information to cram into a few sentences. It took me a second to piece things together. So the donor of the money. Wanted the cafe employs to be in a photo shoot..Which means we'd be modeling..And in a worldwide featured magazine. This..HOW IN THE HELL WAS THIS A CONDITION! I couldn't model at all..But on top of that, this offer was so good, I thought it was a bluff!

"How wha-!" I began, dumbfounded.

"Yeah! We're gonna be models!" Yuzu shot up like a rocket and grabbed two other maid's shoulders.

"Are they taking pictures of our virtual or real selves?" A maid asked.

"Virtual, otherwise Toshiro wouldn't be included," Ichigo responded.

"What's a magazine?" Toshiro asks.

I sighed, "It's a short book full of twisted true stories. In other words, almost true, lies. Gossip is what they call it," I explain.

"So a magazine is a short book full of things called gossip?" He asked.

"Yep." I said, getting irritated.

"Hey! Since I closed down the shop, why don't we introduce ourselves to Toshiro-kun and have a fashion show for him!" Ichigo suggested.

"Yeah, about that, why don't I get a custom outfit?" I asked.

"Because you're the model icon for Otaku Cafe and Maid's Healing. You need to keep the original uniform," She explained.

Ok..So now I'm a model Icon?

Ichigo lined everyone up and made a funny toon, "Da..da da da..da. DA! Welcome ladies and gentlemen to our fashion show," Ichigo laughed.

"First up tonight..Oh, pardon my french.. First off this morning, we have the cute Hana-hime97 with her darling strawberry themed maid's outfit," She proclaimed, stepping aside to let Yuzu pose.

It was hard to get used to the older Yuzu. She had long hair now, same basic hair style though. And her eyes where a bit more mature.

The outfit she wore was very cute and strangely sexy at the same time. She had a white blouse with a red breast plait over it. Obviously, the plait was meant to be a piece of armor, but she softened its look by threading a green ribbon through the top of it and pinning the bow with a strawberry pin onto it. The plait covered just her chest and the blouse stopped just before her belly button. Then, at her waist, was a red skirt with green lace. And around that, was a small, green apron with cartoon strawberry on it. It was smiling quite innocently at me. It makes me feel weird because I could have sworn it was saying the words 'eat me'. Then, bellow her skirt, where a pair of greenish-white pants that were bunched up just past her kneew. She wore standard red slippers with all of it.

"Very cute," I smiled in her direction.

She brightened up and cheerfully nodded.

"Our next lady is known as queen bee around these parts for being the reigning champion in PVP tournaments. Retiring from this, however, AhOui, our most mature employ, has added a very romantic tone to her outfit today," Ichigo announced.

AhOui, was actually the oldest off the employs in the 5th grade shift. This was because she was not part of our school's program and only helped out because Ichigo is her aunt. She was 14. Other than that..I only knew that her name was Ayame..And that she loved to read.

Ayame actually had red hair(she and Ichigo where foreigners..French I think), but on the game she had white hair. Her race was cat-type. And she had red eyes. He outfit complimented her eyes, and was entirely in the theme of red and maroon. A drafty, small, dress that reached just bellow her legs. It was strapless and had several layers to it's flowery designs. She wore a red maid's bonnet over her small white ears. And out from behind her dress, a white tail poked out playfully as she fiddled with her plain, red apron. She had white stockings and red slippers. She seemed to appear about 18, although in the age acceleration, she's supposed to be in her twenties. I was bad with ages..

"How someone like you ever completed a hidden quest, I'll never know.."She snarled at me.

Oh yeah, and one more thing.

I absolutely hated her.

"Shut your mouth and be grateful you have a new outfit," I snapped.

"Ok! Down to our last employ for today's shift!" Ichigo said, pulling Ayame away forcefully.

"Lastly, we have our only employ who was allowed to reverse her age. This girl exists within the game as a 6 year old young lady, however, Sweetheart is not your average cutey pie. She was chosen and allowed to bypass the requirements of all Otaku Cafe employs because she is special," Ichigo began, "She can draw you in with her sheer innocence. Our final employ has a certain spark that will be enhanced even further with her new outfit."

Sweetheart, because it was on the Japanese server, was not a name that was taken. So naturally, Sweetheart was known as the British traveling girl. She had huge ocean blue eyes and blond hair that was cut in your standard bangs and stretched all the was down to just bellow her heels, even though her hair was in pig tails and loosely curled. Her outfit, was standard. She reminded me of a red Alice in Wonderland. The way she wore that red dress that touched her heels and on top of that, had a white apron over it, it was quite ironically Alice-looking. And then those white stockings and porcelain doll shoes that sparked dark green.

And that was why this girl's name was Alice. She was a popular girl at my school because of the way she looked and because she was foreign. However, she wasn't British. She was American. I'm not sure where she came from, but honestly I didn't care. Because I knew if I approached her, she'd either ignore me, or treat me like dirt. All for the sake of her stupid popularity. I hate people who hide who they truly are just for appearance. In the game, her hair was a lot longer, but in real life, her appearance was pretty much the same as online.

She gave me her puppy-dog look and then spit on the ground, "You're not worth my time," She said, waddling away in her small little 3ft 5 body. (now that I thought about it..That was pretty short for a 6 year old..)

"So..Which one do you like better?" Yuzu asked.

"There all great," I laughed.

"Well then, other judge, it's time for you to decide," Ichigo proclaimed.

"I can't like anything..I'm an NPC," He explained. And somehow..That sort of hurt me..

* * *

"Brilliant! Now can you turn to the right a bit?" The donor advised.

I shifted myself slightly to the left and tried to hold in a sneeze. This bed of blue flower petals was really making my allergies work up. And the small, red dress I was wearing was was really exposing too..But it was easy because all I had to do was look back at the camera, put the Blue Rose up to my face, and look back innocently.

Toshiro was still watching me from behind the camera man. And it made me kinda nervous having someone I know watching. Oh what the hell, he was an NPC, not like he really existed.

REM was set in the mid evil ages. Anywhere from feudal Japan to Renaissance Europe, that is the setting for the whole game. That is, until the recent expansion. Now, there is a realm called the 'Media Realm' where anyone with a occupation license can come to a copy of the modern world through a portal in Central City. That means the journalist I met earlier could get into this place, and hair stylists, makeup artists. Anyone with a modern occupation comes to this world. And in this altered version of the real world, everyone will work here, and go back to the real REM to present their creations. The modern world was much more limited than REM's main realm. It was for Film, photo, journalism, and publishing. You could not invent the subway and send it to REM no, this realm was basically an office area, nothing more.

The camera's bright light flashed a few times in front of me.

"Perfect! Stay right there.." He said, taking several snapshots. As I looked to the left and right, I could see Ichigo and Yuzu posing as well. Ichigo was having fun because she was an experienced model, she just carelessly made poses and did not listen to the director because she knew what she was doing was beautiful, cute, sexy; she knew what they wanted. Yuzu, on the other hand, was struggling because they had dressed her up in the foxy outfits and had been trying to make her look like something that's not cute..And that was not happening. I can play innocent any day. Or aggressive..Anything really. Just not cute, preppy, and energetic. And Yuzu could to anything but foxy, sexy, or aggressive..So we were opposites.

"Now we'll go on to the couple shots! Get the morphing potions ready and the sheets! Oh and those school uniforms better be ready!" The donor ordered.

"Wha! Couple? What do you mean by-" The hair stylists and wardrobe artists suddenly swamped me in a wave of motion. Then Suddenly, I was in the dressing room and they were telling me to put on this blue outfit..it was really tight on me. Afterward, they let my hair down and flat iron it, quickly shoving a potion down my throat.

In REM, you can't change your appearance. However, you could constantly keep a form if you had enough money. If you decided you wanted to be a cat-type when you where an elf, you can buy a morphing potion and turn yourself into a cat-type for a week or so, or maybe even just an hour depending on what you buy. If you had enough money, you can keep buying the potions to maintain that for..but the morphing potions now a days are really expensive.

This was definitely a morphing potion. Because immediately, I could feel myself shrinking and fitting into the outfit. Until finally, when I looked at myself in the mirror, I looked just a few years old than what I really was in real life. Although my hair was still long, and my eyes were more innocent, I look similar to..My real life self. 13? 14? How young was I? I was wearing a dark blue school uniform. It had a white sailor collar. And besides the matching shihakshou pants, it looked like my school uniform actually. How in the hell did they plan to use this in a photo shoot? I didn't even look like my avatar!

When I stumbled back on set, all the cameras had been moved and were now peering over a ginormous mattress with silk white sheets. It was more like a pillow because, when I poked it, it sank in like it was made of feathers.

"So..You're saying she's a feisty one?" The donor whispered to another.

And suddenly they both nod. What in the world?

"Hurry up! Where's my boy!" He yelled.

Boy? What boy?

"Can you please lie back on the mattress," The poser instructed.

"Like this?" I scooted back onto the pillow-like thing and look back down to see if she nods. But all I saw was the same uniform as mine..And short..Just a bit taller than my height now. He's being pushed toward me..White hair..Holy crap! That guy was Toshiro!

They immediately shoved him onto the set and pushed him on the mattress, on top of me. I started to cringe as the only leg he was not laying on started to come up toward his side, trying to push him off. He looked at me curiously to see why I was blushing.

"Hey..You're smaller too," He said.

"You idiot! Is that all you can say when you acting like a-" I'm stopped, because instinctively I'd swung my fist at him and he catches it easily, sliding his fingers between mine and pinning my hand back to the mattress.

He was..Much younger looking. Eyes just as innocent as mine. I didn't know they programed him to have a younger appearance..It was cute the way his hair was slightly, less-spiky and subsequently gave more attention to his gaze. Which was curiously examining me and himself. I bet he didn't even know what was going on and how his body suddenly changed. I was gonna get an earful of questions when I get back to the Cafe..But that was the least of my problems..

We heard a flash. And when he looked behind him, my eyes widen. The cameras were peering over us and taking several pictures over and over and over. I saw now..When the donor was talking about earlier..He thought I was going to struggle if he told us what was going to happen so..He forced us!

* * *

"Look at this!" I yelled, "Look at this!" I command again, sliding the magazine prototype across the table, to Yuzu and the others.

"The prototype August magazine," I began.

"This isn't that bad, it's got your picture with the roses on the front, and Ichigo's picture with the strawberries on the back," Yuzu observed.

"No! No! Look, they sent us two magazines!" I exclaimed.

"Huh?" All the girls say at once.

I ran my fingers through my hair angrily, "Ah! I just wanna rip those guys to shreds!"

Yuzu picks up the letter on top of the second magazine first and read allow, "I am sorry for the inconvenience, but we have decided to use a photo from the photo shoot for an alternative magazine of ours, thanks!" She looked beyond it, to the cover, and her eyes widened.

I still remembered clearly. And it was rushing through my head and making me chatter my teeth. The picture of Toshiro and I, locking hands and looking up at the camera, I, surprised, he, half dazed and uncaring. That made the whole things seem like the wrong idea..We just fell! Ah! I hate magazines!

"'Tweens to Teens Monthly? Falling in Love with an NPC?'" Ichigo began, "What in the hell is this?" She said, slapping the magazine down on the table, "Did they use morphing potions on you?"

"They pushed Toshiro and me into that..And..AH! What am I going to do?" I asked, plopping down in a chair and pulling my hair out, "Everyone's gonna get the wrong idea!"

"No they're not," Yuzu said, walking up to me.

Alice, with her sweet, doll face, looks kind of amusing when she says the following sentence, "We're gonna stab those ugly bastards back!"

* * *

_Out of game_

While walking out of Otaku Cafe, I stretched and yawned. I'd been on for awhile, we even closed down the real Otaku Cafe for the photo shoot today..And it was 5 o' clock now..Yuzu went home earlier..But we were supposed to end shifts at 3. Am I becoming some sort of star? Every modeling company is grappling for a contract with the Otaku Cafe girls. I sighed, this was going to change up everything I do in the game, wasn't it. All because of that clueless pet of mine.

I continued to walk down the path, but then I paused as a young girl stood in my way. She was older than me, though. Maybe 16 or 17. I don't know..

"Can I help you?" I asked. She was staring at the ground, fists balled, as if she where about to cry.

"Karin Kurosaki?" She questioned.

"Yes? Do I know you?" I replied to the brown-haired girl.

"I declare war against your band of Maids!" She yelled, "A battle at the arena in Central City! And the winner," She looked up, and she was actually crying through clear, white-lavender eyes, "Is REM's true top model!"

?What the hell?

* * *

**Author's notes: **

**Yeah, it didn't turn out as planned, but we'll see how things go! Like it? Hate it? Review please!**

**Reviews to thanks:**

**Thanks so so so so so much! I don't think I've ever gotten that many reviews for the first chapter! I love you! *kisses kisses!***

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	3. The Night Sky

The Night Sky

"Who the hell does she think she is?" I yelled, storming around my room. Yuzu, stood in the doorway and tried to calm me with her presence and words. Though of course, she wasn't the best at giving moving speeches.

"Ichigo-san said that she was a model, right?" Yuzu informed.

"What, do you think I'm stupid?-"

"No."

"-I want to know why she is so angry with me!" I said, trampling my white rug as I ran back and forth across it.

Then suddenly I stopped and felt my hair being strained and stung as my paranoid hands tugged on each strand, "What if- what if I really do have to duel her! Then what if Toshiro dies? What happens when he dies? Will he loose his self awareness? Oh god, that means I'd have to fight her and-"

"Karin," Yuzu interrupted.

My hair swishes to the side as I dart back toward her, walking forward and failing to notice the chair in front of me. I clumsily come to a halt as I barely nudge it and it screeches across the wood floor briefly.

Yuzu took in a deep breath and sighed, "Look at you, you're a mess! You're like me before exams, or when I can't find homework! I'm never the one to give advice! And that's because I'm usually the one tearing my hair out- not you.."

I waited for her to continue to the inspiring part of her words..Nothing.

She giggled loudly and sent a sweet chirp through the air, "You see, I can't even put together a train of thought!"

Then, I know she did just about all she could do. The bump of her shoes to the floor and the small pop of fabric as she slides her feet over the white rug.

The reaction of her touch was slow, I guess because I've been playing REM too often. It was just as soft as ever; her skin, I mean. It lightly wrapped around the cloth of my back and grazed my shoulders. I could feeling the fluffy cotton of her dress and smell her putrid-sweet cherry perfume as she held me close in that beautiful embrace.

"It's just a game, sis," She began comfortingly.

My eyes widened as she continued, "Listen, I know it's tough now; to tell the difference, I mean. But this is the real world and no matter how many people play REM or watch the Game Channel, they can't touch you here. And I..I know that's not the best advice in the world, but I'm not the one who's normally in this position. I just need you to remember,"

It seemed right, what she said. It is. I am Karin Kurosaki. I live in modern day, 2010. There are no elves, no dragons, no Ice Lords. It's-It's all fake- and I have to remember that.

"remember that It's not real," She said.

I stepped back from her hug and nodded, right, I can't get too absorbed. I live in the now, REM is only for work- I have to remember not to get addicted.

But what's hardest to fight, is his existence. I know it, that nothing in REM is real- nothing.

I have to remember then, that Toshiro is also fake.

* * *

_In The Game_

"If you would, maste-" Toshiro began, but stopped as I stomped over to another customer. There were so many people here today! It had started to become the norm: having a long line of continuous customers out the door every day. It's amazing how many people that aren't in the cafe in real life are here. Most of them, obviously, sit in my area. The girls that come in would always stare at Toshiro and ask if he was a server here too. Hell no he wasn't!

"Yes, I'll get that order right in for you," I said, scribbling down an avatar's meal and rushing over to the other side of the room.

"Hello and welcome to the maid cafe- I mean, to Maid's Healing, how may I help you?" God, now I was even getting my locations mixed up.

"Yes, um, I think we're ready to order," A pixie-elf began a bit impatiently, obviously I'd left this customer waiting for far too long.

"Alright," I said as I took out my note pad and clicking the pin, "What'll you have?"

"Um..well the health smoothie with a 500HP bonus, then I guess I'll get some rot-resistant holy bred for the raid..And I think that's it," She said, seeming to double check the order in her head. Then she nodded, "Yeah, that's it."

"Right," I said, attempting to put my things away, "Now onto the next customer."

As I turned to the other side of the room, I felt something strange on my back. No..It wasn't on my back, it was lower. And gradually, as I began to realize where the unidentified weight was, I yelped up and covered my back side with my hands, glaring behind me.

"She's got a nice ass, too, maybe that's how she tamed that pet," A muscular man began, laughing.

"Tamed?" Toshiro asked, his head tilted to the side, "What does that mea-"

"Later," I sighed, zooming past him.

Perverts, I hate them. I would normally give that guy a good verbal beat down, or even then, since I was level 300, I could treat him to a good whack too. But at the moment everything was too busy. Even my section outside was booked.

"Oh, is that a yes then?" The muscular man continued. Eh? Did that ugly bastard say something?

But it was too late to ask him to repeat the question because he was hovering over me and when I turn around, his colossal body was already towering over me. I can smell the scent of wet wool, like the nauseating sweetness of a wet dog's fur. This guy had been fishing recently, probably to get the items to create some new piece of armor. Just last game play, there was a new patch released that added to the old one, feelings were enhanced to that of "ultra stimulated" and the sense of smell and taste was also added. I often wondered how they figure out what it feels like to die or to get slashed, did they have to smelled a wet sheep to know that fishermen smell like that?

I felt rough, callused hands grip onto me suddenly and push me until I bump into the nearest table and hear the clinking as the silverware and plate of the customer sitting at it rattles. They looked up in astonishment and the busy, energetic conversations stopped as all the customers glance in my direction.

Thick, huge hands held tighter as a hideous face peered down on me and smiled maliciously.

"So how's about we go outside right away," He offered. Damn it I wished I knew what he asked.

Right then, all I could do was shake my head from left to right, to refuse his offer. I thought that was the best response. Why am I such a damsel in distress? I should have slung him in the face, right? No, then I'd be reported for injuring another player outside of a duel. And worse- I might get fired from Maid Cafe.

"Is that so, fine then, we can do it here," He laughed as his weight pushed me back onto the table. What was going on?

The person behind me got up immediately with a gasp and stepped back as everyone began to murmur, "what's up?" and, "Isn't that the level 300 maid at this cafe, you know, the one with the rare pet."

Then I felt something that made me jump up in a week squeal. The new patch must have perfected this, because I had never ever known this before, god it feels weird. The man grabbed my boobs! Instinctively, I swung my leg under his feet and tripped him, but as he was falling, he smiled and tripped me too. And then I knew, this wasn't good.

Slow..Slow..I knew what would happen if I were to hit the ground, I have no idea what he asked me, but I know he's fixing to rape me online if something or someone didn't stop the situation- didn't stop me! But everyone in the cafe was just...Just watching me!

Then suddenly a cold hand clasped around my wrist and pulled me up and held me in a slanted position. And as I glanced back, I saw him, quite obviously in auto mode.

And the next thing I remember, I'm up against a strong facade and an arm was stretched across me, holding on of my shoulders. And then, the other arm belonging to this person, has a sword slanted sideways, protectively. He glared at that man with that same intense stare as he lay on the ground.

"You will never touch my lady, peasant," he threatened, "That his, unless you want to die."

My lady? Wasn't it master? Wait? Why doesn't he just call me by my user name..Or Karin! And why does he have to make it so flashy, his "rescue". It made me feel weird..Like before the sectionals in soccer, I always get butterflies in my stomach from the pressure of the game. But this..why was I feeling that then?

"Are you threatening me, kid?" The man asked.

"My lady is unusually flustered at this moment, so if you wouldn't mind, she will be retiring from her obligations," Toshiro said, beginning to walk away with me, his hand still on my shoulder. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him as he steered me toward the kitchen. Everything was so different when he's on auto system. For one, his eyes change color to alert the owner he has gone into auto mode; also known as action mode. They were pure true blue in auto system. I noticed the scent of rain, cool and musty with a slight earthy smell..That's..Yes, I decided that's what he smelled like. It was so refreshing, and powerful, almost like watching a storm's might crash down on the world.

Then suddenly, the man hopped up and began with a huge mallet at hand, "Are you ignoring me, brat?" He slammed the huge thing down on Toshiro's back side. But Toshiro found it so easy to block he. He whirled around and sheathed his sword, taking his bare hand and palm striking the large man's stomach, proceeding to twist it in the wound and hit the same area again with his opposite hand. The man coughed up something like spit and drop his mallet which Toshiro dodged as it carelessly fell with the man coming after it. When his head was level with Toshiro, he was struck once more in the back of the neck and he feel to the ground with a thud.

"Let that be a lesson to you who think you can insult me and violate my lady," Toshiro began, looking down at the man with disappointed eyes.

Toshiro turned back to the audience, watching in awe. He began to the customers, "And that goes for you all as well."

Toshiro snagged my arm and pulled me into him again. I felt both his arms wrapped around me this time, one, from the right side of my body, to my chin which he framed in his hand, and the other, from the left side of my body down to my hip. He cradled me close as I stood there bewildered.

"Though I belong to her, you all must understand that it is the other way around," He began.

With a smirk on his face, Toshiro announced clearly as he lowered himself down to be level with my face. He let go of my chin and stroked his hand down my cheek, "This, is mine."

Finally, I guess it was a lag, but the man he had defeated was announced.

**"HealiousTheGreat -1500HP, HealiousTheGreat -3300HP, Player HealiousTheGreat has suffered a one combo kill inflicted by the pet of KuraiHime, Toshiro. KuraiHime looses 16 karma and a level 12 penalty for unsheathing weapons indoors, fighting with players outside of a PVP ****server or duel, and for succeeding in killing another player."** The announcer said.

And I didn't even worry about it. I mean, sure it was bad that I was qualified to be monitored by an admin and will be shortly, but..He was so close, and I feel so hot, even though his cold skin is touching mine. Everyone is standing up out of their seats; everyone was watching! All the fairies and pixies and elves, ogres and werewolves..I Then knew that this is totally going to wipe out the event with the magazines. No, it will fuel to that speculation.

Because Toshiro just said that I belonged to him.

* * *

"What where you thinking, you fool!" I exclaimed, bashing him in the back of the head with my hand.

"It pains me- oh wait, I mean, OW!" Toshiro said awkwardly, he still hadn't gotten the hang of expressing anything exclaimed.

"Look, you can't go around saying things like that," I began.

"Master, my auto system is beyond my control," He explained, as if I didn't know that!

"You should try not to take your anger out on him, Karin," Yuzu said.

I whirled around fuming, Yuzu was standing up out of her chair as well. The table in which we sat at hosted a sort of "meeting" between Yuzu, Toshiro, and Ichigo and I.

"That's right, everyone gets embarrassed," Ichigo announced, "More over, we need to figure out just what exactly we're going to do."

"About what?" Yuzu and I said at the same time as Toshiro's "Concerning what?"

Ichigo, sitting calmly at the right most corner chair of the table, leaned over and rested her cheek on her hand.

"Think about it, do you think all of this was just a coincidence," She said.

"Oh get to the point already, I'm already pissed off!" I said, planting my fist down on Toshiro's head. This innocent kid saved me, and on top of that, I looked like a stupid damsel in distress! Ah!

"By my terms, you have a limited membership on REM that allows you to only PM and equipped items. Therefor PVP and duels are not permitted nor are they possible with one of your membership, and yet you are supposed to be attending a duel this evening to establish who is REM's top model. In short, there's no way a buff man just happens to come in, stir things up and involve both Karin and Toshiro, forcing a level 12 penalty onto Karin that requires an admin to watch her, and then just leave our lives without a second report or world PM after his resurrection. Isn't that strange to any of you?" She asks observantly.

Yuzu's eyes widened as she catches on and rushed to open up the player pages. Immediately a thin projection of a person's picture and details like their species and class showed up in columns.

"What's this girl's username?"She asked.

"Ah..what was it?" I turn to Ichigo and she shruged.

"LuvLuvCandy1," Toshiro responded robotically.

We all looked back up at him and he seemed to shrink considerably with all the eyes on him; as if he was afraid he'd done something wrong, "I..My data base records every and all information I undergo after being activated," He admitted.

"Ok, Maybe he's a little bit useful.." I mumbled reluctantly.

"Ok, here it is!" Yuzu said, receiving everyone's attention.

"She's..A pixie recognized for being a top model since summer of 2005 in both the real world and in REM. She joined REM at first to model and never engaged in the combat aspects of the game. From her REM modeling career, she was recognized as a top model in real life with the discovery of her through the game.." Yuzu began, but then stopped as her eyes scanned over more of the profile history.

"You guys!" She exclaimed as she closed the page out.

"Just yesterday she blew all of her finances on level acceleration potions and trainers! And..With a donation of 2 million yen to REM, she was able to become a director as well as an admin of REM!" She exclaimed.

"Which means that.." Ichigo began as we all stared at each other.

Then suddenly, we heard the ringing noise of a player's transportation device.

And there she stood before us, in her virtual flesh and blood. LuvLuvCandy1 flapped back her white hair and stared with a deviant look. It was directed at both Toshiro and I.

**"KuraiHime has been assigned a moderator that will report to duty whenever KuraiHime logs in to play REM. LuvLuvCandy1 has signed in,"** The moderator announced.

A quill and a paper materialized before LuvLuvCandy1 with a dramatic puff of smoke. She grabbed the pin and threw it toward me. I caught it swiftly and snagged the document she shoved in my face.

"The contents of this documents dictate the moderator's all power over the account of the condemned player," She began as I scanned my eyes over the small text of the paper.

"My manager owns all rights over my account, you cannot infringe on my system if she operates it," I said.

"That's why we have this paper here, sign it and I gain control over your account for the next 6 months," LuvLuvCandy1 explained impatiently.

I look back at Ichigo-san who obviously didn't seem to like giving up her paid account to a stranger who loathed me.

I turned back to the white haired fairy; her armor new and polished. It was obvious what she was trying to do,. Train to beat me in a world-viewed duel.

"And if I refuse?" I asked.

"You will be removed from the game," She smirked at the thought.

"I don't recall you ever becoming a moderator," Toshiro began before the quill in my hand touched the paper of the document.

"I don't recall a level 1 ever acquiring a hidden boss as a pet. But by some circumstance she just happened to trigger the hidden quest and happened upon an alternate ending to it. If you're planning on objecting with the law of unfair dictation and you intend to support it with the proof of uncommon occurrences, keep in mind that I can do the same," She snapped at Toshiro.

"Remember that a battle won with handicaps is nothing but a lie," He shot back at her.

"Don't preach to a woman with no course for the future," She sneered.

Hesitantly, I signed the blank at the bottom of the document. After LuvLuvCandy1 took the paper and stored it in her pocket, she laughed before she began bluntly, "I don't play fair, so we'll start with that little pet of yours," She swung her finger out at Toshiro.

"You are the cause of power existing within KuraiHime. You are thereby refrained from any contact with other players and are no longer under the instruction of her," She began.

"One week from now, for the demonstration of the improvement of disobedient players, you will be filmed on television as part of a documentary. Our segment, is one aggressive REM players and their development over a week's supervision from a moderator. And at the end," She explained with a grand, dramatic voice. I guess the duel was in a week then..Phew, I built myself up for nothing.

"We have a duel to see my improvement is sportsman-like combat on REM. But in other words, you want the whole world to see me lose to you. You're putting my only combat source, Toshiro, on probation, and you built yourself up so that you could beat me," I filled in.

"Is modeling that important to you?" Yuzu questioned.

"Life is more than a game," She laughed.

And I could never really put my finger on what she meant by that..

* * *

I would only have time to log in during my working hours. So during that time, Ichigo-san allowed me to train with Toshiro in order to prepare for the duel.

_"It's not that the duel matters," _Ichigo had said, _"but if you lose, all those extra bucks and customers go down the drain."_ She'd winked at me and smirked in her normal cat-like manner.

"If my success is so vital, why couldn't she have just hired me a personal trainer," I mumbled to myself, as I wipe the side of my mouth and get up off the dirt.

_Just a moment ago he was a curious little boy, now he's like this weird samurai master. _I thought. All these mood swings made it so hard for me to read him. But wait..Why was I trying to read him in the first place!

"Focus," Toshiro sighed, smoothing the dust off his clothes.

"Players' stats are modeled after their physic in real life. It just so happens that you have a raw strength of 82% based off of your body outside of REM. In battle mode, as long as you have the technique and level advantage, you should do fine in terms of combat." He centered his hands in front of his body and widened his stance, "But you seem to have no interest in technique, do you? Power is in the mind on REM, you can bring Luv down with just one hand if you'd pay attention."

"Quit lecturing me..It's hard to concentrate when you..." I looked back up at him and glanced away again.

"What?" He questioned, that clueless look suddenly crossing his face again.

I fell back in the grass and took a deep breath before my eyes slid back down to Toshiro who was stomping through the grass, getting closer and closer to me.

"I never said you could lay down," he informed.

"Who ever said I needed permission," I replied, "I don't exactly care what my image on REM is. It's your fault I became a big star anyway. I'll still have my job if I lose the duel, so what's the point?"

"So you're lacking inspiration?" He asked, walking over and sitting beside me. He crossed his legs and scrunched up his nose.

"I'm still adapting to the presence of 'players'. And my current intellect obstructs me from fully grasping what players need as inspiration. The way I work is through orders. When I get an order from one who is above me, I follow it without question. Though I am starting to see why this way of thinking would possibly be impractical, I believe that subconscious rule is a means to fuel me," He began.

"But I don't have that absolute programing like you do," I retorted, "Sometimes I wish that life were as simple as just following orders. You want to also listen to what your heart says. In my world, there are lots of things that are unpredictable and we program people like you to be able to react to those sudden changes better than us. So it's only natural that I can't seem to find reasons for doing things like you can..Or fight like you can..I can't do anything you can," I admit.

"But chances are I'll never be able to feel things that you can. Isn't it part of life to have pros and cons to being who you are?" He asked.

That was...Spoken as though he were human. In fact, everything he just said was as if an infant where given the ability to speak! Sometimes I wondered if this guy was an alien. His goal..It seemed only to be to receive and fulfill orders, but it be something more..Something that I was just beginning to see on the surface. A need for knowledge, a growth which was long past overdue. He wants to know more, yet he just admitted to not being able to reach all of his goals; he was striving for a purpose that may not be completed. But he still has the resolve to try. All of this, how could a computer comprehend it?

I'll work harder then, too! Because I'm better than him, I'm not going to fall behind. I'll do it because I don't want to be a disgrace. He wants to be what he can't; to have a heart and the body of a human being, I can see that now. And I am only one of those which he wants to be. I'm not going to let my life go to waste; for his sake. So I don't want to be a star, it doesn't mean that I can't try to shine.

I shot up out of the grass with new confidence, "I'll do it for myself!"

Wow, that somehow sounded selfish and corny.

* * *

The day of the duel finally came. And many more people showed up than I could have ever imagined! Apparently the teen star against the teen beauty was a popular fetish among REM. Because the server to REM gave an alert of overpopulation when the duel began. The website for REM crashed when the camera began rolling. I never knew that it was such a big deal— that I was such a big deal! Just one photo shoot and I sky rocket to the top of the model social class. How is that? It must be because of that guy. Patiently folding his arms and watching my every move. That awkward being without a class or species. He sparked everything indefinitely and set flame to all of this ruckus. Ironic, though, because he's supposed to be the Ice Lord.

The place of our duel was Central City, what Luv had originally said was out place of battle. We picked a random meadow. But as time went on and we drew closer to the fight, people began to create small tents beside us and bring in portable bleachers. Eventually, 20 cameras and a stadium of sorts wer built around us.

And finally, the time came.

But just before it, Toshiro pulled me aside. He looked me straight in the eye when he said very briefly, "Remember: Power is in the mind. Confidence is everything."

I nod a set out for the duel.

Luv and I pull down each others task bars and select the duel option.

**"LuvLuvCandy1 and KuraiHime have begun a friendly duel. The first player to 10% health or lower loses,"** The announcer began, **"Players, please choose your weapons of choice."**

"The daggers are my forte," Luv said,eyeballing me with a smile.

"I won't have a weapon for today," I stated.

"What? Trying to act all high and mighty will make you fail quicker, you know," Luv laughed.

"As if you haven't put enough handicaps on me already. I think I can deal with one more," I say, cracking my fingers and bending out my legs.

Now I was sure about it. The reason people were watching this documentary was not to study some girl who was a trouble on REM. No, everyone now really seemed to know that Luv bribed her way into the moderator's system and then onto TV. Everyone today knew I was fighting and unfair battle, but they still wanted to see just how far REM's newest idol could go.

**"Let the duel begin,"** The announcer said.

LuvLuvCandy1 immediately sprinted my way, I did the same. And as she drew her daggers and launched them my way, I really didn't have a clue of how to avoid getting hit. They were way smaller than soccer balls and so much faster. But her aim wasn't too good..Probably a result of the last minute training. The dagger barely nicked the side of my check but it stung like a poison dart as blood leaked out of the cut.

I rushed up and grabbed one of her empty hands; she shoved her danger toward my stomach but I knocked it away with my other hand. She forced her hands away and thrust her foot in a round house toward my face but I used my two hands to block it. Now it was really just a test of martial arts. And I bet I knew a lot more than a model.

Sooner or later, She figured out I was winning. In fact, everyone seemed to be pretty disappointed by the turn out. All this publicity, the huge turn out, no one would have guessed how slow and uninteresting the duel would have turned out to be. But Luv just wouldn't give up.

"You took everything from me!" She exclaimed, trying a punch and missing. I grabbed her hand a forced her on the dirt, but she leaped up again and tried the other fist.

"Then find something else worth meaning!" I respond, dodging her punch as she stumbles forward.

This time, with tears in her eyes, she turns around and tries a punch again. I grab both of her hands and pin her to the ground.

"Beauty is everything," She says after she confirms she cannot squirm out of my grasp, "Modeling was my life! REM started my life! REM is everything!"

And then my eyes widened as I saw what this girl had seen. I remembered what Yuzu had told me, _"It's just a game." _Not true. And I felt it for a second. REM gives you a second life. But for this girl, REM sparked her success in life. REM modeling was her place to go back to even when real life did not see her in its favor. It was her special place, and even though REM is fake, the modeling studio; the fans that adored her, they were always her support. Even when she was loved by those in the real world. But now, her place to return to was taken by me. I ripped it out without trying..I crushed this girls heart without thought.

I gripped the girl's wrists and pulled her up, wrapping my arms around her body, feeling her soft white hair to my skin. I hold her head down as she gasped.

I began slowly, "I get it now. You said that 'life is more than a game'..REM was your life. Modeling in REM, it was your thing to return to, your home, right? I've seen how real this game can be. Your life, part of it is in this game, isn't it? And I ripped that part of your life away; that part of your heart. I had begun to see it earlier, what this game can do to you. It ties you down so that a part of you stays within it. I'm sorry that I didn't notice earlier," I said.

I held tighter rounder her body, "I'm sorry I hurt you."

And all she could do was keep sobbing.

* * *

Luv became a pretty successful model again, I remained at the top for some reason..But she vowed never to give up. Now, she was forced to see me every day when I log in. And for the next 6 months, we have to put up with each others clashing personalities. But it's not as though it's a bad thing. She's just a practical girl. I'm not a fan of people like that. But then again, she has fan clubs to obsess over her..

Her modeling career rose back up when she modeled with me for a REM magazine. She still remains one of the top models of the real world, but she seems a lot more spunky now that she has retained a definite place as #2 on REM's top model list.

"You know, I still had a question I'd been meaning to ask you since the incident with that guy before," Toshiro informed.

"Really, what is that?" I began, trying and failing to undo the curls which had been put in my hair earlier. Today was Saturday, I was only online for a photo shoot with Luv and Toshiro. I was planning on logging out, but I seemed to be staying on longer and longer because I had forgotten that real life even existed.

"The new patch came out yesterday..And it allowed REM to have a time of day and weather," Toshiro explained, "And I was wondering if-"

"Really! So there's a night time now!" I exclaimed happily.

"Today would be the first day that the night sky will be visible and they're supposed to set off 'fireworks'. I was wondering if you could stay logged in until..Well if it's not too much of a problem.." Toshiro stumbled over his request, but I got what he meant.

"Of course I'll stay on so that you can see the sky," I smiled.

"Right.." He said, looking away. And for the first time, I think I saw a hint of...Redness in his face. Blushing? No way that was programed into him! Could he have possibly..Learned from people around him?

The sunset was not the main event, yet it was still beautiful. The mixtures of purples and blues was the inverse of the sunset where I lived. It was always reds and yellows. Lovely, but not like the stars.

As the last light left the sky and a giant full moon appeared in the sky, everything seemed to be unreal. I took in the array of glittery lights as the first fire works began to go off. Only five times did they shoot fireworks. I suppose because REM wanted people to have a chance to see the stars longer. The fireworks interested Toshiro the most. The first one that set off made him jump, he didn't know what it was, and frankly it looked like a weapon. But the second one, a red flower-type firework, exploded in his eyes with a fascination that was so pure and envious, you couldn't help but share the feeling.

When the fireworks subsided, he and I were lying back on the grass and gazing up at the stars, when he began slowly, "Do you have stars in your world?"

"Yeah, but we have so many lights that we can't really see too many of them. At least, not from where I live." I said, playing with the grass beside me. We where in the forest field behind Maid's Healing. And the sight of the starts was stunning from there.

"Is this world fake?" Toshiro asked.

I laughed, "So you heard me say that. In my world, yours is considered fake because my people were the ones to create it. But if you think about it, my people might just be fake to. Fake to whoever created them."

"Yes, but I was asking if...If you.." He started to pause again and stumble over his words.

He turned on his side and, surprised, I did the same.

Looking me in the eye, he set his innocent blue gaze on me, "Do you, think I'm fake?"

My eyes widened, "I-I..I don't—I can't.." I shut my mouth because I couldn't find an answer.

"I don't know what's real sometimes..So I don't think I can answe-"I began, but I stopped at the feeling of a strange sensation.

"Why do you even care about what I think of you?" I asked him.

His eyes shot open and he looked away, blushing. I also began to feel flush and scooted away from his slightly.

"It..I always get this weird feeling," He began, "It's probably a malfunction in my programing..But I just want to try something.."

He sat up and I did the same. Grabbing my shoulders, he turned me to face him. And then, he drew me into him and pressed his lips against mine. His grip on my shoulders stretched down to a wrap around my body. At first, I squirmed with my eyes widened, but I then I figured I should just let him have his way..Because it wasn't like he was bad a kissing..

He was cold all over..I guess because he's an ice lord. It was kinda refreshing though, because I'm always really hot. It felt strangely blissful..

I could feel my hair being pushed up as I shifted to do the same. However, this kiss..It wasn't like the other..We both had our auto systems off. And though it wasn't nearly as flashy as the last one..

I loved it even more.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Hey! Long time no see! Sorry it took so long for me to update ^_^ But I've decided to change up my writing style a bit and now I won't be posting raws, but first drafts of each chapter. There are no guarantees that each chapter will be free of homophone problems and grammar slips, but it will be better ^_^. If you all would like me to edit the other two chapters, I can do that too! Though my next update might be a bit slow as a result..Anyways, it's good to see you all! I noticed I had a lot less reviews last chapter compared to the first..I'm not sure what happened but I lost over half of you :( I might get depressed if more of you keep decided not to review..I get lonely, you know? **

**Thanks for reading,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**

**Reviewers to Thank:**

**oOoHKoOo**

**Cereza2000**

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**Nemane-chan**

**yellowbutterfly93**


	4. Candy Corn Weakness?

Candy Corn Weakness?

I couldn't look at Toshiro. Nor did I really want to. And ever since that night, I really couldn't get that feeling out of my head. It was as if he and I had done something unthinkable. All I knew was that he may have looked old, but he was just like me; innocent to these strange feelings. The only thing I was sure of was that I was 12. And he was not real. I couldn't be feeling these things because I was too young. I didn't want these rage of feelings bombarding my pure self; didn't want to develop the perverted mind of an adult. But my youthful self would eventually fade, I supposed. But puberty seemed to explode into my life so very quickly...I wanted to brush away the fact I was starting to fantasize about him, and about what could happen in the future. As he became more aware, I began to grow physically and mentally since that night; closer to him and farther away from everything I knew. I kept away from him. Because I couldn't get more involved than I already had.

And also because he didn't exist, and my shared innocence with him was just that. What I felt was my uncontrolled hormones. And what he felt was just a programing that were put into him by REM to stir the fire.

With every passing day of volunteering I tried my best to come up with excuses so that I didn't have to go into REM. But there was no avoiding it when I had a modeling shoot.

* * *

_In The Game_

I materialized in the back room of Maid's Healing and jumped up at the surprise of Toshiro sitting, cross-legged, on the ground in front of me. His eyes were bored and his palm was on the cheek.

"Finally logging in after 5 days?" he asked.

"You mean, you've been online? But that's not possible-" I began.

"I wish it weren't possible," Sweetheart began, her diminutive body appearing in the doorway. "That annoyance of an NPC has been online 24/7."

"Huh? How can that be?" I asked. He should only appear when I login...

"They've been stuck with him since I removed his position as your pet," A voice said.

I turned to see LuvLuv brushing her hair out of her face and gazing at everyone through her pale eyes.

**"Player LuvLuvCandy1 has logged in. Moderation of player Kurai-Hime will commence,"** The announcer informed.

LuvLuvCandy1 was still moderating me whether she wanted to or not. Over the past week she had become quite aggravated with me; as did I. But I suppose there were things we had in common. We both thought Toshiro extremely annoying.

"So that means.." I began, my voice fading out to the realization of what LuvLuv explained.

"Toshiro is like any other player now," Yuzu said, "Hehe, before you know it they'll be a person behind his programing." She said hopefully; as if attempting to kill any excuses I had for not liking Toshiro. It was pretty evident, though, that he was just too annoying to like. Or maybe I just wasn't being honest with myself..And on that night maybe he and I were being truthful...

"What are you doing?" I questioned as I saw the tip of a red ribbon hanging over the side of the counter. My account finally finished loading and I was able to smell a sweet, nauseating cherry scent from the kitchen.

"Oh, it's the _event_ next week, didn't you read the REM updates?" Yuzu questioned.

"That again. So now they're doing it for Halloween?" I asked.

"Duh," Ayame said, strolling through the doorway in her usual "I'm so much better than you" stride.

"What's the _event_?" Toshiro asked.

"Your databases have classified it as the 'corn-husking.' It's an event based off of the corn-husking parties that the American colonial people used to have after a large harvest of corn. They would peel the corn husks away while gathered around a fire. The town would get the work done while they conversed and had fun.

"The _event_ is the simple dubbing given to the corn-husking by the employees and managers of the businesses of REM. This is because the event is considered a nuisance among those occupations because of the way REM's corn-husking works. An internationally celebrated holiday is randomly selected and is chosen as the event in which all businesses of REM participate in a contest. They must preform a task and not be deemed the last place; for if they do, that business is eliminated as it is not useful to REM. It's a yearly cleanup duty that the REM founders do every year, just for kicks," LuvLuv explained, sitting down in one of the cafe chairs and crossing her legs.

"So then, what's the event on?" I asked, cracking my fingers and preparing for work.

"We have to make candy for the Halloween Trick or Treating," Yuzu began.

"Seriously? They're having a Trick or Treating celebration on here?" I said, surprised.

"You would have known about these things if you took your shifts like you were supposed to. All businesses are required to forge 350 pieces of candy in order to stay above the 'line of failure,' and to insure that they are not deleted from the game," Ayame said impatiently.

"It's already been decided that everyone else takes orders while you and Toshiro finish making the rest of the candy," Ichigo said, walking into the kitchen to give an order out the our NPC cook.

My eyes widened. WHAT!

"We have done 267 candies; use the time you guys have alone to resolve whatever love quarrel you two had," Sweetheart said as she lugged over a few containers of ingredients and stood on her tip-toes in order to set them on the table.

I blushed, "W-what?"

I turned to Toshiro, enraged by the assumption that he had told everyone what happened. It wouldn't be a stretch seeing as he had no common sense. And as I sent my hand crashing down on him, I stopped as someone spoke.

"Why else would she be avoiding Toshiro all these days," Ichigo laughed.

I whirled around,"T-that's not-I was sick!" I defended.

"Yeah, yeah." Sweetheart said, dismissing my excuse.

I blushed and tried to get off the topic of my reasons,"But why can't you guys do it?" I asked.

"We have to go sabotage that guy that stuck you and Toshiro's picture in that teen Magazine, Ichigo said.

"And this is the perfect time to leave you with all the work. Since you've been slacking, we won't feel guilty," Yuzu said.

My head dropped by how bubbly she still sounded making such a comment.

I sighed and slid my eyes in Toshiro's direction. This was going to be annoying.

* * *

I grabbed the chocolate in my fist and shoved it in the bowl, hastily smashing it with the hammer. I bashed the chocolate over and over and over, aggravatingly expressing my embarrassment for the fact that my intentions the past week were so obvious. Toshiro looked at my demon-like aura and my smashing of the chocolate and back away. He looked down and didn't talk to me for awhile; only mincing the strawberries quickly with a meat knife. All that was heard in the room was the faint sizzling of the caldron where the other ingredients were being cooked.

I glanced at Toshiro from the corner of my eye and took his measure for a quick moment. Once again, he seemed completely different from the usual Toshiro. His programmings for cooking made him look effortlessly cool. His eyes were closed as he carelessly chopped a strawberry and went onto the next.

Then, the buzzer for the caldron's heating went off and Toshiro's steady chopping suddenly fell off track as his eyes lifted up with the sound and his head turned toward the caldron; with his head went the knife.

Uncool, suddenly. His knife came crashing down on his finger, but just as he turned back, he swiped the knife clean away from his finger; grazing it ever so slightly. He brought his index finger, spilling with a thin sheet of scarlet red blood, to his mouth... My cool meter suddenly turned back on. He stuck his finger in his mouth and bordered it on the edge of his teeth so that his tongue could wipe away the blood.

Suddenly, he noticed me staring at him from the corner of his eye and I turned away, coughing slightly. I proceeded to mashing my chocolate once more in an awkward, off beat pattern; my head was too full of fantasies to focus on mashing rhythms.

"Kurai-Hime," He said suddenly, putting the knife down and turning toward me.

Kurai-Hime? Not master? I mean— not like I liked it when he called me that..I just thought that was the first time he'd ever called me by my name...Well my _user_name. But somehow it just felt weird to be called that...

"The other night, I—I should not have done what I did. It might have been awkward for you; as I thought, being my previous master may have been the reason why I seemed to have a strange attachment to you. However, I should not have acted upon those feelings. I apologize," he began.

I stared at him for a few moments and then burst out laughing. A clueless expression came across his face and his head tilted as if he were a confused dog. I began to start crying from the look on his face.

I wiped the tear from my eye and smiled faintly, "You think I was uncomfortable because you were my pet?"

"Well is there any alternate reason?" he questioned.

"I don't kiss people often, you know," I laughed.

"Why is that? Two weeks ago there were men all over you," he said logically.

"Toshiro, you don't seem to get that I'm not the same offline. I'm much younger in my world; young enough to have never had a kiss. In fact, the first time was with you and I thought it was kinda gross at first but-" I stopped after I found myself becoming side tracked.

Now the tables were turned; he was now the one staring at me, surprised by everything.

"I forget that you're from a different world.." he said finally, looking down.

"You make it sound like I'm an alien," I laughed.

He was silent as he thought about everything. Toshiro walked over to the caldron and stirred it a few times. I walked over beside him with my bowl of chocolate and sat it next to him so he could dump it in the caldron. I resumed his place cutting the strawberries while he began to mix the other ingredients.

I sliced down the tip of a strawberry as he began slowly, "So, how old are you—in the other world, that is?"

"Twelve." I said, slicing another piece of the strawberry off.

He staggered back against the island in the middle of the kitchen and bumped his head on the pots hanging from the ceiling as his widened eyes melded with his confused and weakened stance.

"That's...Really young!" he mustered through his surprise.

I giggled and let him freak out for a little bit before saying, "And how old are you supposed to be?"

"My intended age is of a 19 year old young adult male," he explained, through a surprised tone.

I dropped the knife and felt my knees buckle as I dropped to the floor, half laughing and crying.

"I can't believe you were that old!" I laughed, "That's got to be sexual harassment!"

"I didn't think you would be that young, to be honest." he admitted.

"That just goes to show you, that I'm just as clueless as you are about some things..Can't be your teacher for everything," I continued, comically hinting his and my first meeting.

He got up and continued to stir the caldron without responding; only a flicker of a smile was barely visible on his face. I ran over our conversation and his expressions; day by day he was starting to learn rapidly and mimicking everyone else...He was starting to get less like a little brother and more...More like someone I wouldn't mention without a fan nearby to cool me down.

I pressed my hands on the ground and tried to hoist myself up only to be greeted by a sharp prick that sliced vertically across my palm. I looked down to see the fallen knife beneath my right hand.

"Ah," I half panted and gasped as I lifted up my hand, bleeding and raw from the thin layer of skin that the knife had successfully peeled off.

"What's wrong?" he asked, turning around to see me gripping my hand tight.

"It's ok, it only hurts a little bit," I said as he rushed over and grabbed a cloth to wrap around my hand.

He silently tended to my wound for awhile before saying, "Then if you can't teach me, can I have a teacher?" he asked.

"What?" I asked.

"I-I mean, if you don't want to, it's fine. We can still uphold our agreement from when we first met I just-"

"No, what are you talking about?"

"You mentioned not being able to teach me some things, I was wondering then...If I could get a teacher." he proposed.

It took me a second to process his words, but then my face lit up with a smile as I began, "That's a great idea!"

"Really?" he asked.

"Of course! You really do need to catch up on a lot of things; I'll find someone in my world to come and teach you!" I suggested.

"Seriously?" he questioned. Now he's using figures of speech?

I nodded.

He wrapped a cloth around my hand one finally time, and then set my hand down in my lap, but still kept hold of it.

"Then maybe we could learn together," he said, looking down. I could have sworn I saw him blushing underneath his hair.

I giggled a bit by his innocence, but blushed as well, and awkwardly cut off the laugh.

"There are things that I'd rather not learn right now," I said in earnest.

* * *

_Out of Game_

"Hikari, straighten up your stance! Kurosaki, don't kick so hard, your partner can't handle it!" the Captain advised.

I snorted and slammed the ball forward, planting it firmly in the skull of my soccer partner, "It's not as though I'm trying to hit it hard." I mumbled to myself. As I tapped off some mud that my cleats had picked up while sweeping up the ball.

This was just your typical soccer practice. I had joined the boy's soccer team after my excessive strength overpowered that of the others on the girl's team. Ironically, however, I still couldn't vent my full power onto that of even the boy's team. Never the less, the Boy's did get a lot more things than the girls. That's because they'd won a lot more awards. They even had their own soccer field. Somehow I felt as though everyone on the team owned it as their _place_. I didn't know what other people thought..But the smell of the fresh dew and bitter grass always calmed me; it was the smell of the field.

"Why don't you try to kick lighter then," I heard a voice say right by my ear.

I turned to see two blue eyes staring at me through spiky brown bangs. Two ocean blue eyes glittered slightly with a chilling intensity, and just by seeing those eyes I knew who was speaking to me.

"Understood, Captain," I sighed.

"What's with the sigh?" he laughed, slapping his hand on my shoulder and powerfully pushing me down, without effort.

His strength almost brought me to my knees as I glared at him through a spread out stance. His effortless push on me was probably him saying, "you're not the only one with strength."

"What's with the glare?" he laughed, "Your shoulder hurt?"

I snorted, "Nope..." but winced as the pain grew.

"You have to adjust for other people," he said, taking his hand off my shoulder and using a nearby soccer ball at his feet. He back up and gently tapped the ball to my partner who caught it with ease.

The Captain turned back and smiled through his perfect lips. A smile that warmed my insides and brightened up the whole muddy practice field. I stared at him with his brown, spiky hair that stuck out in a messy tufts that were surprisingly fitting and cool.

I had known him only remotely, outside of soccer practice. But with time, I became interested in the fact that he would never judge me for my gender. Eventually the team captain and I became surprisingly close. But on the soccer field, friendship was not the goal in mind. And even though the whole team was close, we did not ever gather to converse and laugh like the girl's soccer team. We came to train. To get better and to improve mentally and skillfully.

The ball was kicked back to him and he slammed is foot back down on the ball and began, "Adapt to the weaker ones."

Did he just insult my partner by saying he was one of the "weaker ones" or did he just compliment me?

He watched me for the rest of the practice and I felt the pressure of his gaze on me; I was afraid to slip up. But when I did, he was never angered, only kind. He would always assist me with patience. He was a really good teacher; I wish he could be one of my school teachers.

He was 3 years older than me; 15 years old and the top student of the 9th grade class. Sometimes he was rather dense when it came to girls. I guess I thought that about him because he ignored the fact of gender and didn't react differently toward girls that liked him. I'd seen it, girls that liked him being totally let down by his blunt friendliness with them. He was like that toward everyone—he acted like their best friend regardless of who they were.

After practice was over, I slung my soccer ball over my shoulder and panted with the sweat and success of the day. Soccer always let me relax.

As people began to slowly heard away from the field I heard,"Kurosaki! Come here!" the Captain called.

I bit my lip and wondered if I should make up an excuse to leave. After all, Ichigo might have a fit if I was late for work today.. I stopped and turned around; still and pondering if I should walk forward. He didn't give me the choice, and he walked up to me instead.

With his tall body towering over me, pouring with sweat and an obvious attractive wetness to him, I started to get uncomfortable. Curse these stupid hormones!

He looked down for a brief moment and opened his mouth to say something to me. But he was interrupted by someone behind him.

"Um, Captain," a boy intruded, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but my mom is waiting for me. I heard that you're tutoring people for free..Is there any chance you could help me with math?" he asked.

The Captain turned to him and smiled, "What class?"

"Pre-algebra.." he muttered, his voice wavering.

The Captain put his hand on the boy's head and ruffled up his hair, "Smart boy, huh? Alright, I'll talk to your mom next practice." he began, "Now go on, she's waiting for you right?"

The boy's face lit up as he nodded and scurried away after thanking the Captain. Then something in my brain clicked.

"Sorry for the interruption-" the Captain began, turning back to me.

"Captain! Can I please ask you a favor?" I exclaimed suddenly. _He's perfect. He's perfect!_

"What's that?" he asked.

"Can you please tutor a friend of mine?"

"...Sure. On what subject?"

"Well..Sort of..All of them." I admitted.

"Huh?"

I looked up at him with a determined look in my eye, "Please, I said I'd find him a teacher!" I begged.

"Whoa, slow down," he laughed, "I never said I wouldn't do it."

My face lit up as bright as the stars, "He's sort of a different student-"

"We can discuss the details later, I want you to be able to get home soon," he explained.

"Oh right.." I began, "What was it you wanted me to talk about?"

He smiled faintly and gently began, "A lot of the guys find it hard to concentrate with you..." He paused, hoping I'd catch on.

"Consider it payment for your friend's tutoring.." He said, drawing in closer to me and whispering in my ear, "Wear a bra."

I turned scarlet red and looked down at my chest where two little bumps poked out of my soaked shirt.

I snapped and forgot that he was my Captain for a moment, "Ah you perv!"

I grabbed my soccer ball and swung it at his head. He stepped backward so that the ball would simply glide through to air. "I'm not the one protesting," he defended, "like I said; adapt to your team."

"Flipping boys and their perverted minds," I said, in a rambling mumble.

Embarrassed, I suddenly noticed that the Captain's greatest weakness was one of his best traits. The fact that he treated everyone equally meant that he could be betrayed easily and that he could miss a lot of signals people would send. But the fact that he treated girls and guys equally made me feel as though everyone on this Earth always has a friend as long as someone like him was around. By the discovery of this, I could only be happy.

I smiled, "Come on Hairo," I encouraged, "I know you live near by; Let's walk home together. I'll tell you about my friend I want you to tutor." I proposed.

"On this field I'm still Captain, remember?" He objected, shriveling his nose and rubbing it with the back of his hand...But followed me just the same.

* * *

_In The Game_

I somehow convinced Hairo that Toshiro was a player, from a small country, who wished to be educated further than was provided in his area. Being a very close friend of mine, I promised him to bring a person to teach him. I didn't ask Hairo if he had a REM account. That's because everyone that's anyone in the world has a REM account...

But what I didn't know was that Hairo was the top player in everything; including REM. He was an even higher level than I was!

Captain of the soccer team, highest GPA and grades in his classes, and now the top of REM's combat boards; I began to wonder is there was anything that Hairo wasn't best at.

"I downloaded some files and got a friend in the media department of REM to turn them into books." Hairo explained, "The files were copies of every text book from 1st grade literature to 11th grade Civics," he said, slapping 7 large, broad, dictionary-like books on the table. We had just logged in at the same time after we had walked into Otaku Cafe and he and I had logged in with the Cafe's headsets.

"So, where is this guy?" he asked, gazing around for his new student.

From behind the kitchen wall, I finished brushing out my maid's outfit in the mirror and began slowly, "Yuzu and the others are probably out buying more ingredients for the _event_."

"You guys still aren't done with that? Halloween is tomorrow. You don't want to get disqualified, you know," he informed, flipping through the 3rd grade text book.

"So how much does this guy know?" he asked.

"Nothing," I laughed to myself.

"Huh?"

"Just start from the textbooks for the earliest grades you have." I said.

"Alright then," He sighed, "This is going to be a long tutoring session.."

I walked out from the kitchen, my shoes clacking on the wood floor, my black mini skirt swishing with it's fluffy petticoat, and my long hair flowing forward as I set my hand on the door frame of the room and leaned my head out, "Hey, do you mind starting with something about common speech, he kinda has problems with using current language..Umm, because he's foreign, you know?" I informed.

For some reason, Hairo didn't respond; he just stared at me wide eyed.

The suddenly, he got up from where he stood and walked over to me. Even when I was taller, he still towered over me at his natural height. His blue eyes seemed to change for a second, as if snapping with an intense fire. I was afraid of what he might do for a moment—even though I knew him enough to know he wouldn't do anything—but when he gave me that friendly smile, some of my fear released.

He looked over me for a little bit.

"When is my birthday?" Hairo asked.

"July 1st," I mumbled.

"So it is you.." He asked, examining my figure; scaling down my body and back up. He smiled genuinely; the same one that lights up the whole room and warms my heart. With a beautifully considerate smile he began, "You look so cute."

I blushed and looked away suddenly, "Y-your so perverted.."

"Eh?" he began, surprised, "But you really do look so pretty when you're older," he smiled again, "The outfit suits you too."

I tried not to blush, but when I did, Hairo just has to use his weakness negatively.

As dense as he was, Hairo blinked twice and tilted his head from my reaction, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head and tried to forget it, "Never mind, let's just look over the criteria for my friend," I said, sliding back the wooden chair and sitting in it.

As Hairo spoke to me, it was very hard to pick out any of his words. The only thing I could do was stare at his intelligent figure and obsess over how cool he was. Could being this fickle about boys really be _natural_.

"So, is it OK if he starts from here?" Hairo asked, snapping me out of my trance. What was wrong with me? We were just friends and I was suddenly feeling this..

I shake my head and grabbed the text book, sliding it over to my side of the table, all the time I was reading it I noticed that Hairo would stare at me, but every time I caught his gaze, he would avoid it.

I couldn't help but blush by the occurrence of his gaze, "Is there something wrong?" I asked a bit awkwardly.

He snapped up and shook his head, "Ah..No..Just.." He leaned forward again in his chair and examined me with cold eyes. But the more I stared back at them, the more they seemed to melt. Until he groaned and I saw the slightest hint of blush of his cheeks.

The chair screeched backward as he held his hands to his head and and yelled, "GAWH! What is it about you?"

He again, walked around the chair and got up in my face, examining me; I started to blush. And with that, he also did.

Then suddenly, we heard a large beeping noise as the caldron for the next batch was ready to be turned into candy. Hairo whirled around, determined to find a way to get away from me. I did the same.

"I'll go get the candy," I said.

"No, I'll go get it," he argued.

We each tried to squeeze through the doorway until finally we came into the kitchen in an ungraceful manner that only resulted in tripping and the banging of pots and pans to each other.

Then it just seemed to click and my position was revealed. I stopped myself from falling over on him, but by doing so a quite disturbing image was put on the both of us. My face and his, just inches away from each other. My tiny body desperately trying to keep itself spread around him, but failing miserably to keep a safe distance. Long strands of black hair flapped forward and caressed his cheeks as we both stared wide eyed at each other. Only this time, we were both blushing.

Then suddenly, he burst out laughing and I followed, rolling over on my back and giggling.

"I never understood why guys and girls were separated, you know?" he began after a long silence, "Since I was in 5th grade, I always thought that everyone else was just being prejudice by saying that there were any differences in people just because they were different genders."

Somehow, his logic did speak to me in some ways.

"But then, just a few seconds ago, I think I was finally able to see the difference," He said, rolling over on his side and facing me.

"I don't know why.. but I think I'm never going to forget your face," He said, "And when you get older—no, even before you reach the age of your avatar-" he began.

And with a determined look in his eyes and some strange sort of intense gaze, he looked me in the eye and said, "I'm going to make you mine."

Great..Now two guys have said that to me; anything new that the world can throw at me?

But by talking, or just listening, to Hairo I discovered something about myself. When Hairo was young, he stifled the change that girls and guys were to be separated. But that change was only to come later.

My change; these new emotions, attractions, developments..They're scary. But I had to let them be. Because they just came back for Hairo..And if I just give them a chance, maybe I'll find they won't change me as bad as I first thought.

* * *

"Look!" Toshiro began, "Did you know that 'down' can mean a variety of things? There's even a term that is 'slang' that points to 'down' as a synonym for 'in agreement with!'" He said enthusiastically.

"Man," Hairo whispered to me, "This guy absorbs information like a computer! We're already on 7th grade sentence structuring and 'street slang.'"

I laughed, nervously thinking to myself, _That's because he _is_ a computer..._

"Well I guess he's a bright guy," I informed.

"Or maybe he's not actually a player," Hairo said.

My eyes widened as he continued, "You know there was an article about a maid on REM triggering a hidden quest and receiving a pet rumored to have self awareness."

"Really..That sound interesting," I said, beginning to panic. Would he still teach Toshiro if he knew his efforts were merely going into a heap of data? What would Hairo do?

"Your username wouldn't happen to be Kurai-Hime?" He asked.

I bowed swiftly and apologized, "I'm sorry that I lied! But he reall-"

Hairo rushed up to me, in front of Toshiro, and grabbed my wrist, "I heard that you two were together," his grip suddenly tightened, "is that true."

My voice turned urgent, "No, No of course not! That's just because of a stupid magazine rumor!"

Toshiro suddenly turned toward me and Hairo and stared at us intently.

"Are you sure that's all there is?" Hairo asked.

I nodded and he let go of my head. Even though it was just hormones, he seemed to be hard-self on defending me. And though he just saw what my avatar looked like; he still seemed to instantly fall for my avatar which age was accelerated to look and resemble my future self. It made me wonder, if I hadn't ever played REM, if Hairo would still fall for me if he saw me grow.

But no matter what, his unbalanced hormones were just mirroring their explosive aptitude..His affection for me would fade, and a level mind would come. As would my feelings for Toshiro which would eventually rot as well.

* * *

Later, after Hairo left, and I had to close up shop, Toshiro confronted me in the dark.

"There's still one more candy left to make before the corn-husking," He said, leaning up against the kitchen door frame.

"Can't you make it?" I sighed.

"I put all the ingredients in but if I actually do everything it would be an infringement of the rules," he informed.

_Oh yeah that's right,_ I said to myself,_ he's an NPC and we would get disqualified if he were to help make any.. _

I turned off all the lights and waited in the kitchen for the timer to go off. Toshiro waited behind me like a puppy. And for the first time I wondered what it was like when everyone was logged out. Was he trapped inside Maid's Healing? Did he leave the restaurant?

"That teacher you found me, are you close to him?" he asked while the caldron still boiled.

"We're friends in my world, why?" I questioned..Though he made it quite clear today that he wanted us to be more than friends.

"I don't like the feeling I get when you're around him," he said, "Would you stay away from him?"

I was perplexed, why did Toshiro want me to distance myself from Hairo? Could he have possibly been … Was that the feeling? No..Why would that be?

"Idiot, don't worry about it," I began, and he looked at me, surprised.

"Listen, things are totally different in my world, boys don't come chasing after me; in fact I don't look like I girl in the least and-"

The time beeped and the caldron went up in a puff of smoke, replaced by two small pieces of candy corn.

"I thought you said we only needed one piece to meet the corn-husking qualification," I said.

"I did," he said, picking up one of the yellow, orange, and white candy corns. He held it in his fingers and began, "Hana-hime97 said that this was your favorite candy. And if I gave it to you in a certain way, you might give me answers."

Hana-hime97? That was Yuzu's username. Does that mean that she did one of her weird match maker things?

But I realized to late, because Toshiro was already following Yuzu's orders. And since Yuzu knew me inside out; whatever Toshiro would do, I knew, would break me, even if I didn't know it would.

Toshiro took the candy corn and put it up to my mouth and slid it between my teeth. The feel of his finger to my lips was so painfully spin tingling that I began to believe that, if I swallowed the candy, I would be excepting these feelings. I struggled and tried to back away, but Toshiro merely put his arm around my waist and pulled me in toward him until I could smell the sweet candy ingredients on him from this morning.

"Eat it," he said.

My eyes shut tight as I gave in and accepted the candy into my mouth, and as the only thing that remained on my lips was his index finger, I began to feel so defenseless for a moment. As if his touch was the only thing that kept me on this Earth. How did Yuzu know things about me that I didn't? How did she know that by acting aggressively hostile, Toshiro would win me over? I didn't know.

But now my eyes were dim and my mouth slightly open and panting from the struggle.

"Now," he began, "I want you to answer me honestly."

"Anything; just let me go," I said, my face flush with red.

"What is the name you really want me to call you," he questioned.

Surprised, I could only widened my eyes for a brief moment in my fit. For a seconded, in my panting, I went over the two titles he had been calling me. Master. Kurai-Hime. I was fine with those. And I continued to tell myself that I didn't care what he called me. But Toshiro seemed to feel that his titles were awkward as well. Either that or Yuzu hinted to him something that she saw my subconscious wanted. With all my heart and soul I wanted my name to pass his lips maybe just once.

Through my panting, he lifted his finger off my lips and with his ever aggressive grip on my waist pulled in even more until I felt as if I was being tackled like a ragged doll, his hand motioned toward my chin and lifted my head toward him, I panted,

"Karin."

* * *

**Author's notes:**

**PHEW! That was a long one! You have no Idea how much revision I had to do for this chappy! The first draft was 32 pages! GAWH! I'm so glad it's done with.**

**I have a habit of making special chapters for common international holidays..SO this is my special for Halloween, yay! ^^ I think it turned out ok..but there are a little blurps here and there..**

**Thank you guys SOOOOO MUCH for replying to my cry for my reviews! ^^ My goal is to get 100 reviews by the 5th chapter..I know, an impossible goes, right? But if those of you who didn't review for chapter 2 could go back and do so, I might actually have a little bit more.**

**I know that I'm a real freak for reviews..But I tend to like people talking to me about my stories..It lets me know that I'm doing something right! If I wanted to listen to myself write, I wouldn't publish on fanfiction, right?**

**So, I guess what I'm saying is to please give me the same courtesy as last chappy and give me 18 reviews! YAY! ^^**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**

**P.S. I went back and edited the other chapters for you guys..I didn't get everything but I fixed the major tweeks. XD**

**Reviewers to thanks:**

**JWzipper**

**ThornedSunflower**

**Madeleine**

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**Escapedslave99**

**TwoCamelsInATinyCar**

**yellowbutterfly93**

**Vetaglmela**

**strawberryfishcakes**

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**Ne, to all y'all without an account: Why don't you make one? I'd love to reply to your reviews!**

**Side story: Revenge of the t****wo Ichigos**

**Author: Anyone wonder what happened when the girls dumped Toshiro and Karin to go and hunt the director which sabotaged them in chapter 2?**

**Ichigo(female one): Did it really take us _that_ long to take revenge?**

**Yuzu: Well we did devise a pretty awesome plan, though!**

**Author: Well Karin's brother, Ichigo, saw Karin and Toshiro's picture on the magazine and freaked out.**

**Ichigo(Karin's bro): I was originally intending to beat that white-ass dude that was rubbing up against her but-**

**Ichigo(female one): He logged into REM and talked to one of my employees, Rukia-san, and discovered that the director that tricked us was actually the one to blame.**

**Author: So after witnessing the combined furry of the two Ichigos, here is the director who suffered a fairly intense beating by Ichigo and the maids of Otaku Cafe:**

**Director(Special guest): I was sure to give an extra donation to Otaku Cafe and also to apologize onto a world viewed showing game channel. [he says this in fear of the Ichigos which are threatening him with their fists]**

**Karin: Oh..So that's what happened.**

**Toshiro: Wait-Is that guy's hair color natural? [looks at Ichigo(Karin's bro)]**

**Ichigo: Hey, you better watch your mouth, bro! You still aren't off the hook! The way I see it, you jumped my sister and your just about an inch away from getting the beating of your lifetime!**

**[Toshiro tries to calculate in his head what he could have possibly done wrong]**

**To be continued...**


	5. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Actions Speak Louder than Words

I sighed and tapped my foot repeatedly on the ground. I didn't want to be here. Never in my life did I intend to grow the way I had. However, I couldn't change this part of me. And since I was going through these abnormal times, I resolved myself to accept change...and somehow, through that, I found who I wished to be. Well not_ really_..But I was pretty close! All I knew was that I didn't want to have these feelings coming, along with the physical changes. So I promised myself I would let the physical things—that I could not change—slide. But anything I felt—for anyone—I could definitely change. So I would shut out any attempts of my hormones to ambush me.

I would crush the roots of my feelings.

I looked around quickly and stole into the store. I looked left and right nervously, as to make sure no one around was someone that knew me.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" I heard suddenly, jumping out of my skin.

I turned to find a girl with a cute smile and huge blue eyes. She was gazing at me intently, as if to search my reasons for coming.

I turned completely toward her and scratched the back of my head, "Well...I-"

The girls eyes slid down to my chest and then back up, "Your first time?"

I looked down at my own bosom and then laughed, "I suppose so.."

"You don't seem like the girl for push ups," She said, taking my measure, "Sports bras are best for now, but you may have to come back pretty soon." She explained, getting up real close to my chest and stared at my diminutive breasts. Some how, this all felt awkward.

* * *

_In the Game_

"Whoa!" I said, gazing around at the sparkling new world around me. The walls were now painted a floral, sparkling light blue, and the floor boards were nearly bleached to match the plantation crowning at the end of the walls. The ceiling was also crowned to fit the ground's crowing and the whole serving area, as well as the kitchen, was redone with new equipment, tables, chairs, decorations, and menus. Besides the new money surplus from modeling, Maids' Healing had been flourishing quite well; enough to support a new restaurant upgrade! Not only were the rooms larger, we had a completely new addition!

"Welcome," Ichigo began, "To the Maids' Healing employee lounge!"

She opened the wooden door to a pink room covered with plush couches and soft chairs, accompanied by a fire along with other warm colored stuff. I took in the fluffy wonderland for a quick moment before I heard and loud groan and gazed over the couch that was facing away from the door, toward the fireplace. There, laying curled up in a ball, was Toshiro.

He repeated over and over again, his eyes wide in dismay, "So..messy...!"

I jumped up when a hand landed on my shoulder suddenly, "Don't worry!"

I turned back to see those blue eyes staring at me and I turned completely around to begin, "Oh Hairo, you're already here?" I asked, surprised.

"You act as if you're unhappy to see me," he laughed.

"As long as we have the lounge, Hairo can come in earlier and not have to risk being seen by our customers," Ichigo explained.

"Wait, you've been making him come after closing time because you wanted to hide him?" I questioned.

"Trust me sweetheart, it's for your own good," She laughed, before winking at me and walking out of the doorway, "Oh but ol' Ichigo can't always protect you," She began walking away, "I wonder who she's gonna choose.." She mumbled to herself before disappearing into the dinning area.

I turned back to Hairo and he shrugged, obviously not getting what Ichigo was saying as well.

"So what's up with Toshiro?" I asked.

"We just covered the reproductive system while you were out," he began, "He asked some very interesting questions," Hairo laughed, "he's so curious it's unhealthy."

"Really," I smiled, "at least he has something he's adapting too as well." My voice lingered with every word. My mind was buzzing with what I was going to try to do today. I had promised myself I would always try not to let the mental and hormonal aspects of my change affect me. I was at least a little happy to see that something about Toshiro was also changing. And since he seemed to be quickly developing the aspects of his age, which he program did not fill, I wanted to believe that his coming to fit into his age would lead him to noticing that his 'experiments' with me and the 'feelings' he would say he had for me, were nothing but something to fade with time—a puppy love, one which was programed and fake. And one that was certainly too good for me. Even someone who did not exist, did not seem like the person for me. And when I thought about it, I was kinda depressing.

"Did you know that females bleed every month!" Toshiro said suddenly, rearing up from out of his shocking trance.

I blushed suddenly by the awkwardness of the topic, and Hairo sighed and put his palm to his head, "So we need to go over more speech etiquette with him?" Hairo asked.

I nodded slowly, eyes wide from Toshiro's discovery.

"And did you know that the male excretes a-" Hairo ran over to Toshiro and covered his month suddenly,

"I think his brain is overloading," I laughed, but then started to wonder off toward the topic of change. It was now so very foreign..

Hairo stared at me for a second and began, "Hey Karin.."

I snapped out of my daydream and looked toward him.

Hairo lifted his hand from Toshiro's mouth and Toshiro filled in, "You look kinda distant.." Kinda? He even knows how to use that word? His modern dialect was definitely mastered now. It had only been a few weeks too!

I laughed for a second and began, "Do I?.."

"You never laugh so much either," Hairo began, "is something the matter?"

Suddenly I burst out, "WHAT? Can't I laugh without being said It's abnormal? Can I just feel what I want?" I exclaimed.

Toshiro reared back in the couch and fell over at my yell, already drunk from information and eyes wide. Hairo blinked twice, wondering what he did wrong. But after I vented what was inside of me, I huffed out some air, and then left the room, slamming to door behind me.

Just then, the announcer proclaimed, **"It's time for the most popular talk on REM's forums to come alive! Tonight we will have our first occurrence of weather at the hours of 6:00pm to 8:00pm. It will be a slight rain fall that will be programed, along with other weather, into REM's system. There will be, from this day forward, weather that you can feel, taste, touch, smell, and see! A special thanks to our hard working staff that is always working so hard to improve our coding!" **

As I hid my face in my hair and began to walk away, I heard Toshiro burst out, "Oh I remember reading something about weather!-"

What was going on with me now? Why did I just snap?

* * *

"Today is a themed day?" I said with cold eyes. I could not believe my ears.

"Yep! Today is animal day!~Nyaa!" Ichigo said with her white cat ears twitching and her whiskers flapping up and down. "We have gotten enough money to have themed serving days! Today, everyone gets a morphing potion and has to put up with their animal transformation all day! This is for our customers everyone, so remember to play your animal well!~Nyaa!" Ichigo said with a wink.

I shook my head, "No, I've already had a bad experience with morphing potions—I won't do it!"

Ichigo handed me the potion I was to drink and began casually, "Drink it or we'll get Toshiro to make you. Really, your weakness is so lame~Nyaa," She laughed, walking away uncaring.

I blushed and began, "H-how did you know about that?"

"Oh please, I know everything darling~Nyaa," Ichigo laughed.

"So how did it go?" Yuzu asked, grabbing a potion off of the lounge's coffee table and preparing to drink it. She opened the cap and put the bottle to her lips as I began quietly, "He made me eat a piece of candy...No big deal, right?"

"Well how did he do it?~Nyaa," Ichigo asked.

I thought about telling the two all-time-matchmakers what happened. But I just shook my head and didn't tell them for fear that Yuzu and Ichigo would think up something to make my promise even harder to resolve. I wanted to uphold my resolve to crush my rising feelings. I thought that my feelings honestly interpreted everything negatively.

"He's gonna call me Karin.." I said, "That's all.."

Yuzu gagged up on her potion for a second, but scarfed it down afterward. She the wiped her mouth away and began, "What? No one but Hairo calls you Karin."

"Really, is he that special?" Ichigo began.

"No!" I interrupted both of them, "I.." My voice died out as both there eyes set on me, waiting for an excuse, "I just don't know what I can do..I can't seem to reach my resolve anymore.." I said finally.

"Just because change is hard, doesn't mean that it isn't good for you," Ichigo laughed.

"Now drink that potion," Yuzu encouraged.

Today, not many people were on shift because of the exams. Yuzu and I had our exams postponed because out homeroom teacher was sick. Today, we had to juggle all of the newly upgraded cafe. And in turn, Ichigo would help out while Hairo tutored Toshiro in the Lounge.

I shriveled my nose and blinked my eyes a few times before finally taking a deep breath and walking out before Ichigo and Yuzu. There, they both started at me wide eyed.

"Is it that bad~pyon?" I asked, suddenly capping my hands over my mouth in surprise. I began to say something again when all that came out was, "~pyon!" like a barrage of hiccups.

Yuzu and Ichigo smiled in a strangely bubbly way before dragging me out with them into the dinning area.

"Yes, right away, sir!~pyon" I began, rushing over to the kitchen counter and entering another order.

"Excuse me miss, would you mind giving me a refill?" A woman asked from her table.

"Oh, of course! It'll be right out!~pyon," I said with a nervous smile.

"Order up!" Our NPC cook said. And all of a sudden, all 10 of my orders came out on one huge platter.

I balanced the individual, smaller platters, carefully. I was sure to tread carefully as well.

"Hey, did you hear that Kurai-Hime is rumored to have a second love interest?" Someone whispered to another.

"No way? Is it another hot guy?" a person responded.

Suddenly, the shock of hearing that comment made my feet slip. And being preoccupied, I could only spend my time falling to think,_ Oh crap, were is the food going to land?_

Then suddenly, I heard a slight clack as my eyes closed tight and I found myself still supported by something behind my back. I opened my eyes and hiccuped again, "~Pyon?" As I set eyes on the brown hair and blue eyes that had always supported me. He was holding me up like a soccer ball, on the flat of his foot, one hand struggling to balance the food I had dropped.

"You're a lot more clumsy with those bunny ear. Though you do look cute," He laughed, carefully setting the platter onto some customers' table and lifting me up with his same hand.

"You're not supposed to come out of the lounge,~Pyon" I said, my face suddenly growing red from the realization that I was the damsel in distress again. My floppy white ears growing more lax as I submitted with my blushing.

"So I'm supposed to just sit there and watch you fall?" he said, his blue gaze suddenly turning intense.

I looked away and muttered, "Don't be so flashy in front of everyone.." I couldn't find the right words to say..Why was it that I was just setting myself up? Could I possibly even know what I wanted from my growing passions and perversions?

"So then I have the right to look flashy when we're alone?" he questioned, pulling me closer to him so that now my nose almost touching his.

I started to turn scarlet red as I looked around at everyone staring at us. I remember the promise I made to myself, the change I had a resolve to make, and without noticing, I gripped on tight to Hairo's shirt and pulled on it tight, shoving him down to where he was.

"You need to stop egging me on~Pyon," I whispered to him, before pressing my lips against his.

His eyes widened and everyone in the room gasped as I suddenly felt as though it didn't matter what the world thought—What anyone thought—as long as my desires were satisfied. I was sure to take in everything, the softness of his lips, the quiet pacing of his heart, and the steady changes in his passion as he turned from surprise to acceptance. And then, when he kissed me back with the same intensity, I felt the very same thing I had looked for with Toshiro. That spin tingling sensation that chills you to your vary being..Only this one was hot. So very beautifully warm and yet shockingly stinging. It was really nice..And for the first time I realized..That it was pleasurable.

I pulled away from him, his eyes still wide, and I let go of his shirt, "Listen, there's been all this talk that I'm dating Toshiro,~Pyon" I said, finally venting my real anger—anger that I had toward the public from the very first time Toshiro and I were framed in a teen magazine, "but this guy is my boyfriend, so get it straight!~Pyon"

And even though I knew now that I had successfully switched away from Toshiro, I still didn't feel any better about myself mentally..

Someone finally spoke after awhile, "Hey..Isn't that CrimsonDragon?"

Then another girl squealed, "AHH! It's REM's super hot top player..That girl has_ him _too?"

"I told you you shouldn't have let him out!~Nyaa" Ichigo laughed from the kitchen.

* * *

I knew that the next day Toshiro would have something to say to me. And sure enough, he pulled me over and began, "Listen, I thought I told you to stay away from him."

"Why? Just because you have a bad feeling about him?'" I snap, and this seemed to take him off guard.

"News flash, the emotion is called jealousy. You should have already learned that. So don-"

My voice cut short when Toshiro rammed me up against the wall and stared at me with intent eyes, "You should be more afraid of me, now that I know your weakness," He began.

I started to blush from the recollection of the candy corn event. I didn't think Toshiro would recognize it as a weakness..

I averted his eyes and whispered quietly, "Just leave me alone.."

"Is it something I said?" he asked, trying to catch my gaze.

"No.." I replied.

"Is it something I did?" He asked.

I shook my head. No, I couldn't be around him! No matter what he just makes everything come out. Why? Why is that? I could feel the words coming up though I didn't want them to..

"Then why did you do that to my teacher?" He asked.

And the things I had bottled up inside me simply came out. Even if I tried to cap these feelings, I figured it would have all just come spilling out like it was just about to..But if I exhaust myself, maybe then my mind will be satisfied and I can better fulfill my resolve.

I snagged Toshiro by his collar and brought his face so close up to mine that I could smell the books he had been pouring over in his studies. I closed my eyes and said in a whisper, "Everything about you is so uncontrollable, so annoying." I began, "I can't take it! You're not real! You're just...You're just a programing; I can't feel anything for you!" I exclaimed.

What was I saying? No wait, please stop the words. I don't want to say any of these things..I just want to...Why is it that I don't even know what I want anymore?

"But I want everything about you..." I said, my voice lingering, "That's why I hate you..That's why I'm afraid.."

I had to see his expression, so I looked up only once to meet his gaze. And at this point, the words just kept coming out, regardless of whether I contemplated them or not.

"I don't want to change! These feelings are a nuisance—You're a nuisance!" I yelled, "So please, as a tribute to your former master, promise me," I took a deep, shuttering breath in.

"Don't you ever come near me again!"

And the words came out as fast as a child eats candy. Uncontrollably. Selfishly. Unthinkably. And without knowing it, I had just released what I was feeling all this time.

Fear.

* * *

_Out of Game_

I couldn't help it, although I knew soccer practice was canceled today because of the weather, I needed to vent, I had been looking forward to expressing my frustration and confusion. So alone, I went out to the soccer field with my ball slung over my shoulders. It was just like in grade school, when I always used to play by myself. It was always a time to think back then. But now, that's another normality that had faded with these changing times.

On this wet field, putridly stained with the smell of bitter wet grass, I was completely honest with myself. I had to figure out the root causes for my outburst. I had to find my goal—my real goal—in all of this and then act upon it with confidence.

But today, I had merely slipped up and just made a big fool of myself. I didn't know what I was doing..I probably got myself a bunch of female enemies from making Hairo my boyfriend...And I probably hurt Toshiro.

I slammed my foot into the soccer ball and sent it flying to the goal, "Who cares! What I did back there might have actually been a good thing," I exclaimed angrily while thinking, _After all, Toshiro doesn't exist. And by having the resolve to cut him off, I've finally gotten rid of any way I can make a fool of myself even more. Because, let's face it, he was falling for me. I was falling for him. And I could never let that happen._

I ran up to get my soccer ball and I held it up to plant my foot on its round surface. It was sent flying back to the other side of the field. And as I walked back to the other side, I contemplated my reasons behind my action today.

Maybe it really was my subconscious, and being with Hairo was what I really wanted. Or was it, that I was just trying to get at Toshiro, to maybe test him to see if he'd come to hate me from any reason. No, he just continued to ask what he did wrong. He assumed he was at fault. Like a perfect guy should do. Like an NPC should do..

Or maybe even, I was just running away from my change.

I stopped in mid step to think over this discovery.

Why? Was I running from it because of fear, like I said to Toshiro. It wouldn't be farfetched to assume that a tomboy would be scared of growing into anything but a boy. What would happen then? Would I give up soccer..Would the boys get distracted and Hairo would have to kick me off the team?

So then, is that why I wanted Hairo to be my boyfriend? With him in my pocket, I could be assured that he would never kick me off the soccer team for any reason.

But what were all of these things getting at. What was my subconscious trying to tell me.

"Ah! This is so frustrating!" I exclaimed, plopping down on my butt and looking up at the purple-blue sky. The sun was setting. Quite a beautiful sight.

"Those two guys are such idiots anyway," I laughed to myself, looking up at the Northern star which was just making its appearance in the sky. And some how, I felt my eyes water, "I'm not even worth their time.."

That was it! My eyes widened as a tear drizzled down my right side. I was afraid. Afraid because I didn't want to let them down. All these new feelings were too fast for me! All I wanted was a time to get used to them. So with Toshiro away and Hairo already established as my boyfriend, the two might have been a little more lax on the constant romancing.

I laughed suddenly, in a broken cry, "I just needed some time! This whole things was just...Wow! I'm so clueless I can't even read my own actions!" I brush the tears from my eyes and giggled, "Even talking to myself helped.."

Now, I felt so much better! Less pressured, less stifled. Now I knew that I wasn't trying to crush any sources of my feelings..But I was just afraid of how they'd grow. And how the ones who loved me would react. A lovely, far better intention that crushing the first loves of two boys. Rather, it was an intention that was more like me.

And somehow, I seemed to find the light in all of this. Finally I found who I used to be and who I wanted to be, shinning through all of these signals and mind games.

I let out a big puff of air and saw my breath, in a huff of hot-frost-like air coming from my mouth. And for the first time I was cold. Really cold. I noticed the climate of the outside world. It _was_ November. So the cold was just starting to burn my cheeks and frostbite my nose.

I sat up suddenly from the damp field which was covered with cold, chilling water.

"How the hell can you come out here dressed like that?" I turned to find someone, a few yards away, staring at me with uninterested eyes. Two brown eyes and spiky orange hair. A sweatshirt and jeans.

"Ichi-nii?" I asked.

"You know Yuzu wouldn't have let you come out if she knew that soccer practice was canceled. You really worried her, you know," he began, treading up to me.

"You were so distracted you even wore shorts out in this weather. What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing anymore," I said smiling, "I think I finally figured everything out."

Ichi-nii stopped and smirked to himself, "Just like my sister to find her own way of doing things. And here I thought you needed help with something."

He extended his hand out to me, and I smiled and let him lift me up.

"Now come on, before you catch a cold," he said.

Somehow I felt as though everything I did was so much more free, as if I could finally see beyond whatever cage I was in.

Then suddenly, a single drop fell from the sky, like an alligator tear. It landed right beside my foot and left a huge print in the grass. And in an instant, the sky dawned darker as the night lights were shrouded by thundering clouds, pouring with frostbitten rain.

"Perfect timing," Ichi-nii said, taking the small umbrella, hanging from his belt, and popping it over my head, so that the rain was merely cackling against the stretched rubber. Ichigo handing me the umbrella and opened another for himself.

"What do you mean, perfect timing?" I laughed, the rain beginning to blow with the wind and making me seem to find my umbrella useless, "We didn't beat the rain at all," I yelled as the gusts and thunder grew louder. Ichi-nii laughed and started to run for home as he began, "It's never about beating anything. Winning or losing is not the point. It's how you play the game."

The gusts subsided slightly as a cloud passed over that provided only pelting rain and cold fragments of ice.

"What does that have to do with the rain?" I asked, slowing down with Ichigo so that we could tread carefully in this rain.

"Rain will always come," Ichi-nii said, "But your memories in it have to be happy."

"That way, when it comes again, you'll always associate it with a positive feeling," he explained.

"Is that so.." I asked, my cleats filling with water as I continued to walk on the flooded side walk. It was so cold I began to feel numb from everything, but we were almost home so I thought I could stick it out. I laughed as I recollected what I had done with Hairo and Toshiro. And for the first time, I didn't find it a pressuring embarrassment, but merely an interesting challenge to fix. When Hairo came to tutor Toshiro tomorrow, I'd apologize to him. The same to Toshiro, but I would still ask them to stay away for awhile.

The suddenly, I stopped, "No..Today's.."

"Sorry Ichi-nii, I've got to go!" I said, turning around and sprinted the opposite way from home, my feet splashing up the gallons of water along the ground. Ichigo didn't stop me, he just continued walking in the other direction, his hand in his pocket. And under my breath, I thanked him for it.

I remembered now, the first rain was coming to REM. And after everything that I had done to Toshiro—I didn't want him to have the slightest chance of being unhappy for the first witness of weather in his world.

I slammed open the back doors to the cafe, my key jingling faintly as my drenched body brought with it gusts of rain and sleet.

The dark cafe made the thunder outside seem even more scary. And once, even, as I was searching for the light, a crack of a whip brought the cafe to a shuttering shake. The whip of thunder made me wonder just slightly, if I were to put my head set on, if something bad might happen to my body this late at night.

But I didn't have time to worry about that.

* * *

_In the Game_

**"Player Kurai-Hime has logged in!" **the announcer said as I materialized in front of Toshiro. He looked at me with wide eyes and I asked him faintly, "Why aren't you out in the rain?"

"Without one of the maids, I can't leave by myself," he said, before giving me the cold shoulder and leaving the room. Even using contractions now? He was definitely learning fast.

Everything in the cafe was dark and the eery sound of the drizzling outside made me feel as though I was locked in an insane asylum.

"You actually have to stay alone here...Every day?" I began.

"No big deal, really," he replied coldly, sitting at a table next to the window and leaning up against it so that he could feel the ticking of the rain drops to the glass, "Why are you here anyway?"

"What's up with you?" I exclaim, suddenly.

Toshiro jumps out of his skin and stares at me for a moment.

"Listen, you!" I began in frustration, "I'm here because I'm trying to help you! Will you quit being so snappy!"

And for the first time, I saw something come across Toshiro's face that made him come even closer to being real—he had changed from what I had told him. Because I hurt him. And it made him angry. I remember telling him only to say OW! Whenever he gets hurt. And yet, he was self teaching himself how to vent his emotions. Or at least, he was starting to become a less composed, perfect NPC, and starting to become like a real player!

"It's hilarious that you think you can get mad at me for no reason! I'm staying away from you! I'm doing what you told me to do!" He exclaimed. And I felt now, that he was starting to blur the line between NPC and human.

My eyes narrowed as I examined the expression on his face. And I realize that I really did hurt him. What he was expressing was and anger toward my opinion of him. It was an anger that I wanted to not breed a tainted heart. Suddenly, I just wanted him to be the innocent, clueless NPC I first met. The more I seemed to let him be taught, the more he seemed real. Was that a good thing for me, or bad?

I walked up to him and snagged his wrist. His eyes widened as I pulled him up and shoved open the front door to the cafe, still dragging him along behind me. I was so frustrated with him. The bell tied to the door jingled slightly as the light drizzle outside occasionally landed on its surface. Since REM was made in the west, it was still warm over there. So the rain was fit for summer. Warm and comforting. I stepped onto the light alabaster pavement of the streets of REM and was surprised to feel one warm prick to my skin, and another, that dripped down my skin. The feeling of rain was programed perfectly. And after I completely brought Toshiro out and the door to the cafe shut behind us, Toshiro could only hold his hands out and watch the drops fall onto them. He'd look up at the sky and saw nothing my gray clouds.

"This is rain?" He asked.

I let go of his wrist and turned around. I wanted to slap him so bad from getting angry at me. He was so frustrating now. But instead, I made myself shove my head down and bow as respectfully as I could. Toshiro averted his gave from the rain, for a moment, and gazed at me in surprise.

"Gome," I began, "I just wanted some time to get used to these new feelings. I didn't want to hurt your's. But I feel, while I'm adjusting, I need you to give me some distance." I explained.

He was silent for awhile before beginning finally, "I'm sorry as well..I...I don't know what's happening, but the more I know, the more I seem to be melding with my auto system," he began.

I was surprised, looking up. I forgot all about his auto system because it hadn't shown up in ages.

He touched his finger out to the rain, and I felt my drenched hair and cloths feel like nothing as I gazed at his soaked being—something I had never set eyes on.

"I can accept that you want space, but I cannot forgive you for your words. Somewhere inside, it still hurts. I don't know why," He began.

I turned sour as I heard these words. And I knew it because I knew what it was like to be hurt verbally—the wound never really does heal. That's why I prefer actions over words. Because physical scares heal. Mental ones, they never really fade away.

My eyes dimmed as I bowed again, "I understand."

"But I don't." Toshiro said suddenly. He lifted me up off the ground and carried me back into the cafe, popping me down on the lounge couch.

He peered over me seriously and scanned all over me, "Why is it that I can't help but think about you. Why am I hurt so much by your words? Why is it that I still want to please you anyway?" He asked. "What makes you so special?"

My mind reverted back to when he asked the very same question; the first time we met. I felt suddenly, so very hot. And at the same time, I felt chillingly cold from my soaked hair and cloths. He was, as well, drenched to the bone, and it was a dazzling sight for some reason. Rain seemed to suit him. It seemed to make him sparkle. I was at least glad that I came here to make his first rain meaningful.

"I will forgive you, if you give me something," He asked.

And suddenly, I could feeling everything. The plush couch on my back, the pillows on my side, Toshiro's arm beginning to wrap behind me waist, his face drawing closer to my neck. I tried to push him away as I winced, "No, wait—you promised to say away!"

"I know," he whispered near my ear, "But just this one this. Then I will leave you alone forever."

Somehow I seemed to tense even more as his hand began to travel up my thigh and his mouth began to touch my neck.

What had he been taught?

"Don't be so tense, Karin," He said, pausing in his motion. I could feel his wet skin up against mine, still cold and slippery, but yet still warm. By the mentioning of my name, I relaxed ever so slightly, which was a fault I shouldn't have made. For a second I thought, _oh what's the problem? It's just a game anyway. This isn't_ actually _happening_.

And as he continued, I started to tense up against by the looked in his eye. But no matter what, he was just too strong, too intoxicating, to pull away. He held me as tight as a child holds their favorite toy. But then, as I felt him feeling up my leg and his other hand unbuttoning my blouse, I knew his intentions. I seriously wanted to just stop and slap him. But my drenched body was nearly paralyzed. I neither had the strength nor the determination to push him away. Because, let's face it, I'd already hurt him. And I didn't want him to hold a grudge. If at all possible, I wanted him to forgive me.

But I also couldn't fight this off..Because a part of me, the sick part of me, wanted it.

He whispered in my ear, as silently and as mysteriously as ever, "I'll show you what I learned,"

And in an instant, I really did feel like I was in an insane asylum. Because I felt insane.

For letting him show me.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

**Hey ya'll! We got really close to my goal of 100 reviews! But I don't think all of you read the author's notes because..Well...A lot of you didn't go back and review for the chapters you skipped over. As for you new readers, I happen to see quite a few of you just waiting until the final chappy to review. I'd like it, even you anonymous reviewers, to take the time to review each individual chapter.**

**Thanks for the reviews guys! But I think you're all playing me, lolz, because everyone but one person completely ignored Hairo's introduction! What do ya'll think about him? Good? Bad? REVIEW AND TELL ME!**

**Love ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**

**Reviewers to Thank:**

**dheeSafa**

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**THANKS SO MUCH!**


	6. Dangerous Curiosity

Dangerous Curiosity

Never did I aspire to tell anyone what happened on that night. Oh, but it stuck in my head. And I was feeling rather confused about everything that happened. Mostly, though, I just couldn't keep away the fact that I felt an emptiness. Something which I suppose comes often to standard girls. Yuzu would know how to deal with it. But as I consulted her, she merely told me that ones heart must be mended by only themselves. So as I searched for the reasons for that hole in my being; I never did discover its origin. Neither did I really want to. Because I continued to deny the one source of my pain. I continued to think, _I'm not sad because of him. No, I'm not. _

In time, however, all illusions must dissolve to the truth..

* * *

_In the Game_

Today, was as uneventful as all the others. I was not very popular in the game magazines anymore, but rather, my success sky rocketed in the gossip and matchmaking magazine industries. At first, I refused to model for any sort of magazine that would publicly humiliated me, like that first modeling with _him_. Never had I intended to do anything like that again. Never had I intended to be forced like that again. But, as I was clearly aware of now, change happens. And sometimes we can't really help it.

Ichigo was more light heart-ed with me; as where all the other maids. I think they sensed a weakness in my personality lately. And they were right; I was a dainty as a flower now. Because I had finally been broken. Broken into a split of two people. I had realized, only then, that something about me changed mentally. Something I wasn't ready for. Because that night, I didn't want to stop _him_; though my mind said so. No, my subconscious was really the one acting. If I wanted to, I could have stopped him. Why didn't I then?

Because I wanted it.

Feelings seemed to bombard me fairly quickly and without my noticing. So obviously, I could not control them. And honestly, I didn't know if I wanted to.

Needless to say, I had obtained my distance. The two men fighting over me had finally backed off after I cleared with them that I needed time to adjust. _He_ stopped coming after Hairo declared he had nothing left to teach. After I told LuvLuv to remove his status, h_e_ no longer needed one of the maids to escort him to the outside world. So then, as _he_ had promised since that night, _he_ walked passed me and left Maids' Healing. Ever since, _he_ has never returned.

Hairo and I had still been the biggest buzz of the game. REM's top player and the highest level player of entertainment; this couple could only breed gossip. Together, we would often be asked to model; though we refused to get much closer than holding hands. Mostly because I didn't want to, but also because, since Hairo discovered the truth, he seemed to be thinking over what he thought of me.

"Today we have double shifts; one will be taken up by a photo shoot," Ichigo announced, in her same bubbly-like attitude.

"Question," Ayame began, her mature stature dramatically stiffened, as if she were giving herself more importance, "how long are we going to do this modeling thing anyway?"

"We'll do it until we're no longer popular; profit is everything," She said.

"But it's almost the mid-term switch," Yuzu said hesitantly.

The mid-term switch was when the Jr. high students swapped out with the high school students. And like I said, Maid Cafe, as well as Maids' Healing, always received more customers with the senior girls as the employees. So the Jr. high employees were never missed. But it seemed as though, this year, our contracts might be extended; because as long as Hairo and I were in the hot seat; we'd be in demand for profitable services.

"We don't switch until December 20th," I informed.

"Half of our time on REM has been spent modeling! If we become anymore popular, it would be impossible to let us go for mid-term," Sweetheart, in her petite doll-like body, said.

Ichigo was silent for a bit as her smile faded to a frown, "You know," she began in a half sigh, "Sometimes I wonder if you all even have feelings." With this, she escapes out of the lounge and half slams the door behind her.

Slowly, Ayame made her way over to Ichigo's announcements. Assured that our boss would not be returning, Ayame finished the announcements for the day.

"Hairo will not be attending today's modeling. So there's not need to contact him," Ayame read.

"And it seems we have a noteworthy mention today," She read, "Toshiro will also be at the photo shoot; but modeling with his new owner."

My heart seemed to skip a beat by the mentioning of his name. But suddenly it stopped and fell into my stomach as Ayame said that I was to be in the same area as he. I didn't know if I could deal with it..Much less did I think I wanted to go through with everything!

As the staff flooded out of the lounge, LuvLuv, still moderating me, pulled me over to the side. The girls walked through the doors as LuvLuv began to me, "Can you handle seeing him."

"Why wouldn't I?" I lied.

"I'm not stupid," She said looking away. She crossed her arms and began to turn slightly flush, "I've become concerned... Not for you!...Just..."

"It's fine," I said, forcing a smile.

"But it's not," She began, "Listen. Toshiro was safe here because his actions were filtered by me, that way the other admins didn't watch him. But now that he has a new owner, you have to tell him to watch out for the staff of REM. His owner should know too."

I knew what she was doing, she was pushing me into a corner so that I would admit that I wasn't well enough to face Toshiro.

"You two need to atone," She finished.

She looked deep into my eyes. I contemplated what she was saying. But then I felt it, yet another person poking at the wound in my heart. It hurt.

I rejected her gaze and began while walking out the door, "We have nothing to atone for."

* * *

_Out of Game_

"You know, I mostly felt jealous," Hairo began, while walking beside me. The sunset today was red and orange, accompanied by clouds and rolling mountains on the horizon. Today, was the last soccer practice of the season. Individual lesson still existed; but out team would not meet again until the spring. The winter months were simply too dangerous to practice in.

I looked to him, surprised. He merely put his hands on the back of his head and looked up to the sky. As we walked home, he kept his same goofy smile spread across his face. That smile was a jack-of-all-trades. It could accomplish anything.

"To know that he actually got that close to stealing you away from me; it made me feel so irritated. But for a split second, I wished I was him," he said, "I've been think about everything, and I really don't know what to expect next. It's like we're in someone's twisted fantasy," he laughed.

"I know what you mean. Fate seems to have such a sick sense of humor," I said.

Suddenly, he stopped walking. A few paced ahead, I paused as well and looked back.

"I really do want to get over what happened. But I just can't stop wondering about the details. Why did you let him go?" Hairo asked.

"Because he wasn't worth my time," I began, "and because I wasn't worth his."

"What happened on that night?" he asked.

"No more than a pervert like you could imagine," I spoke, beginning to walk off again.

He stayed still behind me, "Does that mean that you chose me over him?"

I stopped again. This time I looked up to the beautiful sky, a bird zipped in and out of my sight as the clouds moved on slowly.

"Hairo, were do you think the clouds are going?"

"Huh?"

I slung my soccer ball over my shoulder, "Clouds are so slow...But they're going somewhere right?"

"They're carried by the wind, that's why they move," Hairo said scientifically.

"Then I'll go where ever the wind takes me," I said the final word, before I began to walk again, Hairo following behind me. Today was going to be one of the last days of normal weather. Today was going to be one of the last days of golden leaves. Today was going to be one of my last middle days. I knew that I was beginning to decipher my feelings. I just knew it.

I had told Hairo about that night through a promise I'd made to him back when we were just acquaintances. As part of the soccer team, we never keep secrets. I was going to uphold that.

Whenever I log in, LuvLuv has to automatically log in in order to moderate me. So that night..She logged in a bit late. That's how LuvLuv found out. But other than her and Hairo..Not many people know what happened. The maids and Yuzu could feel out that something was off about me..But I knew they didn't know why.

"Do you like either of us?" he asked.

"I don't know. You're asking a tomboy here," I reminded him.

"...Which one of us do you like better?"

"Quit asking me all these hard questions!" I laughed.

I began to see that Hairo was more concerned with my affections for him than anything. Of course, he did say he was jealous. But he never said why. He was jealous of me both in my avatar form, and in real life. What..

"What exactly do you like about me?" I thought out loud, before covering my mouth suddenly.

But to my surprise, he was thoughtful about the question. He responded with, "Maybe it was your looks that hooked me at first; but I've realized if you give more time to people, you notice how three dimensional they all are. Their flaw and habits, gifts and opinions, all of them make up what a person's character is. You seemed like any other team mate to me; that's what you were supposed to be..

He looked down at me, "But REM seemed to show me that you have a girly side too. You have a girl inside you that likes cute things, wears dresses, and even blushes when embarrassed.

"I think what I like about you most is that you're not like any girl I've ever seen. You have several sides to you; and you always keep me guessing."

He smiled at me with an honest gaze.

I looked down and blushed slightly, unable to control my reaction to his flattery. Aggravated with myself, I took my hand and whacked him in the back of the head, "I thought I told you to keep you distance," I snarled.

"I didn't know that complimenting you was considered romancing," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

We continued to walk, alone, until I finally said, "I wonder what Toshiro saw in me."

"You should ask him," he said.

Surprised yet again, I turned to give my full attention to him.

"Go talk to him. Though I hate to admit it, you're always brighter when he's around," Hairo explained.

I smiled a nodded, "Thanks."

* * *

_In the Game_

I skittishly made my way into the studio where the familiar white room greeted me. The black picture equipment stuck out like a sore thumb; but even more so were the studio artists stumbling around with their models trailing behind.

I was pulled over to the side and placed in a black chair where my face was airbrushed with smokey colors of red and orange. After that, I was placed into a dark blue, silk kimono. It reached all the way to my ankles and platformed, straight and iron, all the way down. The sash was red.

The cameras flashed as my poser instructed me to face this way and that. I looked left. I looked right. I sat. Stood. Lifted my chin. Looked at the camera. Softened my expression. Looked away from the camera. I waited, all the while, with one of my eyes watching the entrance to the studio.

Next, my hair was pinned up in two pigtails and I was put in red lipstick with a red cap on my head. The bottom of the cap was covered by white, fake fur. I was put in a short, red, strapless dress with white fur also sown to the bottom of the dress. Then, I was put in matching red gloves with..You guessed it! White fur on the ends. The gloves stretched to just above my elbow which contrasted well with my bright red Italian high-heeled boots.

I was told to buckle my knees and squat while putting my hands on them. While being instructed to smile, my eyes caught sight of something white coming into the room.

My eyes searched his cold expression and icy atmosphere. Then, those cold teal eyes sparked with expression and life as he caught sight of me. In an instant, his white hair swished as he looked in my direction; eyes wide in surprise.

"Ka..rin?" he stuttered.

I looked away from him and focused on what my posers were telling me to do.

"Look innocent and poke out your lip," one poser said.

"What?" I asked.

"No, that isn't her character," another poser said, running out on set and moving my body so that I was posed the way she liked me.

She positioned me so that both my hands where up as if I were stretching and I was laid out on the set's white bean bag chair. I came to learn that this was the Christmas set.

I was made to turn my head left and lay my legs up so that the camera could catch a glimpse of my "perfect knees."

The whole time I was posing, I couldn't help but think about Toshiro, who had been moving about to my right. I could not let him distract me though, I would talk to him during break.

The camera flashed; and after what seemed like hours, I was let out for break.

* * *

She was stunning. Her darling figure and petite size, her golden-brown eyes, and her brownie-colored hair that was pinned up in a bun. Everything about her was simply cute and right. Right for Toshiro. She had a cute button nose and beautifully innocent lips. Her small, dainty hands would wrap around his arm as if he were her brother; or worse, her boyfriend.

This was Toshiro's new master; the third best female player in the game, FairestSnow, known simply as Momo in the battle arena. I came to learn the Toshiro and Momo attained a friendship and soon engaged in a master-pet contract. Then, Momo entered the world-arena battle for REM's newest top players. This was, of course, along with her newest pet, Toshiro, who she commonly calls Shiro-chan. However, there was speculation as to why she made him her pet. Was it to give her an advantage in the battle? Or was it because she was another fan girl of Toshiro's. So far, the paparazzi have merely characterized their relationship as "that of a brother and sister."

Nonetheless I was still so jealous. She was so beautiful. Beautiful and perfect beyond anything I could ever hope to reach; she was definitely good enough for him. Definitely. So why did this hurt so much?

"Shiro-chan~" She said bubbly. Even her voice was sweet and clear as the mountain winds.

I hid myself away for some reason, so that when Toshiro entered the room, he didn't see me.

"What?" he said impatiently, walking over to her.

She picked up a toothpick and stabbed the fruit tray so that she brought up a little slick of watermelon.

"This is your favorite, right?" She smiled.

"I don't know," he said in exasperation, now avoiding her gaze. He was so cold with her..Why was that?

"Shhhiiirrrrooo-chan!" She moaned, "Com'on look at me!"

Reluctantly, he turned his head back to her and gazed very quickly at her eyes. She stood up on her tip toes so that her short body(shorter than I was) could reach up. She poked the watermelon in his mouth and wiggled the toothpick out from between his lips.

"We ate this when I first met you, don't you remember?" She said, smiling.

He looked surprised with the sudden mass of food in his mouth, but then, as he began to eat it, I noticed that he began to consider the food; or at least consider something.

"You know, ever since you learned from those stupid books, you've been so..cold. I miss the way you were when I used to see you in Maids' Healing.." She said.

My eyes widened..She used to "see" him? And at Maids' Healing? How? When did that happen?

Suddenly, Toshiro seized her hand and pulled her petite figure into his. He turned up her chin so that her wide, innocent eyes looked in his, "Please, don't mention that place, master." He said.

She blushed slightly and began, "You're supposed to call me Momo."

That was about the time I escaped into a back corner, behind some curtain. I felt like I was intruding on something now. Something I should not be seeing; something that I didn't want to see. But I still gazed at their long shadows which cast on the floor. And suddenly, Momo drew up closer to him. Closer than I wanted. And I clamped my hands over my mouth and tried not to look at the shadow. Because I didn't actually know how close she'd gotten...But it looked like—yes I think it was—it was a kiss.

The shadow pulled away as I heard Momo's giggle from outside my realm of solitude. What was I doing? Why did I care for what Toshiro did? I came here to talk to him.. Just to talk to him.

No, I brought my knees up to my chest and covered my ears; I couldn't do this. Momo left the room with the click of the door.

"Karin," I heard, suddenly, as I looked up with wide eyes, "get out here," I heard his voice again.

I got up and stumbled out from the corner, there, Toshiro waited, standing casually. He knew..That is was here the whole time? He looked straight at me and began, "What do you want to talk to me about.." He even knew my intentions...

"I..." I began, but I seemed to have lost my voice. I looked away, afraid to let him know that I'd lost my words.

"H-how has everything been?" I asked.

"Fine," he responded, snappily.

"Toshiro, that girl..Are you-"

"Am I close to her?"

I looked away and blushed, as if embarrassed that he could predict my question so easily.

"..No, she's just an acquaintance," He responded.

Then suddenly I burst out, "You liar! What was that just now then? You don't kiss your acquaintances!"

"It was a tease, she always does that," He said, beginning to become enraged as I was. This was something I caught a glimpse of on that night.

I looked away and was silent for awhile. Finally I spoke, "I'm supposed to tell you to watch out for the admins. They're going to be watching to see if your actions correspond to your programing."

His look softened as he avoided my eyes now, "You don't have to worry about that.."

Right about now..I wanted something. An excuse to stay. An excuse to be with him. For a second, I wanted him to break his promise.

I caught myself before I could make any move. I began to walk out the door and leave when he began, "Since that night, how have you felt?" he asked.

I stopped in front of the door. And for a split second, I was honestly with him about what I felt, "Empty.."

And as his eyes widened, I hid my face in my hair and left the room.

But, as the door closed behind me, I saw a face smiling at me.

She grinned genuinely and looked at me with considerate brown eyes, "You like him too, don't you?"

Still shocked by the surprise of her presence, I could only blush and shake my head.

She leaned up against that hall wall and began to close her eyes, "I think there's something there," She put her hand on her chest and smiled as she seemed to recollect something.

I waited for her to make sense of what she was saying.

When she opened her eyes, they slid over to me. She put her hands behind her back and lifted herself up from the wall.

"You don't like him because he isn't real. Isn't that right?" She asked.

I avoided her eyes now; today everyone seemed to be able to read right through me.

"Be a little more imaginative!" She laughed, spinning around in circles; the long, pink, flowery dress she was in spread out like the petals of a flower as she twirled. This girl..Was Toshiro's new maser. What was she like? Why was she talking to me? What was she trying to teach me? Was she trying to help me? This girl..Momo.

When she stopped, she looked at me in the eyes again, "He's real if you think about it." she winked and began again, "Come to REM's hot spring tomorrow. 201 glowtown road, Central City. Bring all of your fellow maids there if you'd like; all expenses paid, of course."

She came up to me and whispered in my ear, "We can have a little girl talk there."

With that, she walked away and giggled the same way she did after she fake-kissed Toshiro.

_Out of Game_

Ichigo, of course, obliged to go to any place as long as it was free. She said that maybe the hot spring could teach everyone that being a maid wasn't a job; Maids' Healing and Otaku Cafe where the homes of our family. And so, everyone was going to the hot spring tomorrow..And there, I may get a better understanding of this Momo girl. But most of all; I may find out something of Momo's relationship with Toshiro. I..I don't know why I cared, but I did. So tomorrow I'd find out. I was sure I would.

I stripped down for a shower and laced my shirt up over my head. I dropped my pants down my legs and slid my underwear down after. All the while I was thinking of what happened on that night, how something very similar, to what I was doing now, happened on that night. I took a deep breath and tried to push the images of what happened out of my head. But my mind just wouldn't let me. On that night, though I was twelve; I began to turn intosmething more of my age... What happened on that night was unholy.

I pulled my feet out from between my pants and my underwear and I began to slip my bra up over my shoulders when I spotted something. Something very odd on my underwear..It was a very solid dried brown..

Then suddenly, from all my science classes and phys ed studies; I knew what it was.

I shrieked and began to shake my head. Oh crap, this was the last thing that I needed.

Time for feminine toiletries..

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Short intro chappy. I decided to let you guys cool off a bit from all the romance by adding this in..But I never really intended for this chapter to even exists..But Momo had to come in somewhere so.. Yeah! Stick around for the next chappy because things are about to get..Spicy. Lolz.**

**Thanks for reviewing everyone! Though I still haven't reached my goal :(((**

**Still though, I'm so happy that all of you seem to like the story! Lolz, someone told me that they thought Hairo was gross and a pervert. I laughed when I read that..I actually intended him to be a worthy rival for Toshiro..But alas; I just can't tug you Toshiro fan girls/guys away from him! Poor Hairo..He ended up hated instead of fought over. Screw that love triangle..Lol.**

**Reviewers to Thanks:**

**Vetaglmela**

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**T.H.E.S.R : lolz, you reviewed twice ^^**

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**() miss/mister OMG OMG OMG! You should make an account too!**

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**Hey everyone! A lot of you seem to be reviewing inconsistantly! Could you all PLEASE go back and review for the chapters you didn't? **

**Love Ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	7. Unrequited Love

Unrequited Love

This game, REM, what was it to me? Now a days, it seemed more like reality than anything. And I knew it was all because of him. It was almost as if I was ensnared in some nightmare. A nightmare in which everything around me..Was foreign. It's scary...Because no one wants to undergo too much change. But all at once; I didn't know what was real or not. I didn't know my surroundings. I felt lonely in the world that was brought to my eyes. Through Toshiro's discovery did I come upon these new changes. And through his very existence did I come to not even understand who I was. Slowly, I was transforming into a new person. Yet I was still aware of who I was. I wanted to go back to the times in which I never had these feelings. But then, a part of me wanted to see these changes through. That part, I knew, was purely there for interest. I wanted to know how I'd end up feeling..

About him.

* * *

_Out of Game_

"How is this supposed to work again?" I questioned.

"One thing at a time, sis," Yuzu screamed from the other side of the door.

In the bathroom, I took a deep breath and fidgeted in my new, padded underwear. Since the day I saw that brown blotch.. It seemed as though science class didn't lie about what I saw. It turned out to be blood. Dried blood. And as all we girls know; that's not the best thing to wake up to.

I opened the door and timidly met Yuzu's eyes. There, she walked me over to my bed and sat me down.

"Now.." She began, "Being the first of us to mature, I want you to know that this is totally natural and that-"

"We already learned about everything in 3rd grade," I interrupted, I honestly didn't want to talk about it..It just made me more self conscious. I think the bleeding already stopped anyways. Because, they say, your first always come in spurts and doesn't necessarily come every 28 days(or last a week).

"Just tell me about this new expansion," I ordered. I'd heard that REM was getting a new trinket added to it..One to make it even more realistic! But I didn't know what it was..

Yuzu processed everything in her head and finally began with, "The REM headset works by temporarily putting you to sleep, right?" She asked.

I nodded.

"That's because the brain cannot control both your body and your REM avatar at the same time." Yuzu explained.

I already knew that, but I waited for her to get to the point.

"The newest expansion allows your avatar to sleep inside REM while still being logged in," She explained.

"How is it possible?" I questioned.

"We'll be out for an extended period of time..So we have to eat and get in bed with our headsets on. After that, we'll log on REM, and stay on for as long as we please. The only thing that's different now is that our avatars will experience fatigue and we'll want to go to sleep at some point in time," Yuzu said, "When our avatars sleep, both our body and our avatar are inactive, giving your brain time to rest..So it really is a simple concept."

When she put it that way, it did seem very easy. All we had to do was eat and go to sleep with our headsets on..But the only difference was that now REM was even more like reality...Being able to sleep in REM..Amazing. How this game was progressing.

I looked out of my bedroom window, its white sill and thin, transparent curtains, blended with the glaring sunshine.

"So..How are we supposed to sleep if it's not even dark outside?" I said.

"REM was made in the west, so it's already night time where our avatars are," she said.

* * *

_In the Game_

"Why is he here?" I asked, coldly, glaring at Hairo with his stupid smile. I did not want any males on this trip.

"Because Momo invited me," he said.

"What?" I asked, turning back to him.

"Yeah, sure. We're old friends; She started talking to me after I beat her in the World-Arena Tournament last year... You didn't really think she invited just you, right? I mean, she did rent out the entire bath house and hot spring for a reason," Hairo said, casually putting his hands behind his head.

"You just have to ruin everything," I said, sighing.

Sweetheart, Ayame, Ichigo, and Yuzu, crowded around me as if I were a dying relative. Then, all at once, they surged me to the left and began to whisper to me.

"You do know that Hairo isn't going to be the only guy at the hot spring, right?" Yuzu whispered to me.

Well yeah, but I was under the influence that no one I know would be there..

"Momo invited me so that she and I could speak about something. I didn't know she would be simultaneously throwing a World Tournament party!" I defended.

But that was beside the point; I knew what there girls were getting at. It was a fear that edged into me all last night. For the first time, I'd be spending an all nighter on REM. And I wanted to believe that Momo wouldn't bring her favored pet with her. I really wanted to. Because she said she meant to speak to me about him..So there was a chance that she would be discreet enough not to invite him...

Though I somehow knew that she would bring him. And yet I still wanted to go to the hot spring. Because a part of me just wanted to see him. No matter what, I thought, a part of me would always _want_ him.

But he didn't even matter! I mean...Weren't we just talking about Hairo? Hairo was a completely different issue!

"Why are you so against Hairo coming?" Ayame asked.

"PMS probably," Ichigo said.

"No, she's already on her-" I glared at Yuzu and she immediately clamped her mouth shut.

"I just don't think I'll be able to relax with him around.." I said.

"Duh," LuvLuv said, suddenly appearing behind all of us. I yelped up as she began over my cry, "Sometimes I wonder who she favors more; they both annoy the hell out of me. That's for sure."

**"Player LuvLuvCandy1 has signed in! Moderation of player Kurai-Hime will commence,"** The Moderator spoke.

I gazed around the monochromatic city behind me for which was packed with people. One large street held open stores and stands along either side. Lanterns hung from every door. And it was quite like how a festival would be set up. Only, the farthest away, was the Tea house that stood with the bath house and hot spring, atop a moat which was only accessible by a zig-zag bridge as wide as the streets of the town. Everything was in shades of tan. Even the dead plants which struggled to push themselves up from in between the tiles of the road. Most of the shops were not very tall and they had flat roofs. Only the tea and bath houses had grand Japanese-styled roofs and exterior architecture. The main streets were covered with colorful goods and the buildings where often draped over with colored sheets. Though this did no good job in hiding their aged facades.

With one quick look at everything, I took a deep breath and decided that this—that everything—was going to be left behind today. I would just relax. Or at least attempt to.

* * *

Splendid beyond explanation. That's what awaited me beyond the glossy black roof and the rice paper doors. Everything seemed to just be so slippery..Because it was so glowing! When I walked in, everything in the building was supported by red columns for which ascended as high as the 8 story-high-ceiling could stretch. This huge building had many additions, all beautifully decorated with sparkling vases and hanging tapestries. When you mount the stairs, everything seems to be like a new world, with the second story being a restaurant. The guests were herded into specific places so that the waiters and waitresses would not accidentally shove them aside while handing out plates of food. Of course, the stories were so grand that only two floors could be provided.

So then, the zig-zag bridge that went from the Tea House, extended onward behind it. It led, still, across the vast lake. And there, a building just as grand stood, dead center in the middle of the lake. The zig-zag bridge branched off behind it and made way for several routes to the shores of the hot spring. If this game was created in the west, then why the hell was everything here Japanese?

The bath house was just as striking as the Tea House; only, it was completely cleaned of anyone. It had a sharper, more relaxing look to it. Though every cleaned room in it still had a sparkle. The house was divided as though it where a clans' manor.

At first, I thought I was safe. There seemed to be no one but the employees inside the bath house. I thought, perhaps, that we were the first to arrive. But, when I heard that excited voice, pure as the mountain air, screaming my name. In horror, I turned to see if she'd brought him. I really hoped she hadn't.

But there with her perfect length, brownie hair in two cute pig tails, she held the wrist of her favored pet and dragged him along. This time, however, he made no effort to meet my eyes. Avoiding me...Now I was pissed. Was I hard to look at or something! How rude! Now that my hope of relaxing was quickly being taken away by him, he had the gull to not even look me in the eye?

"Karin-san! I'm so glad you could make it," Momo said, running up to me and wrapping her arms me as though I were an old friend.

She let go of me and rushed over to Hairo, "CrimsonDragon-san, it's been so long!" she hugged him briefly and turned back to everyone.

"So these are your fellow maids?" Momo said.

As she went to each person and introduced herself, I whispered to Hairo, "CrimsonDragon, your username, seriously?"

He replied, "Karin-san, really?"

I didn't respond. I knew what he meant. No one called me Karin but him. Of course, he was yet to find out that his responsibility was diluted. More than he called me Karin.

But Momo..Why did she call me Karin? How did she even know my real name? And instantly I knew, she could have only been calling me Karin as a symbol that Toshiro was talking about me, or she had forced him to talk.

_Speaking of Toshiro_, I thought, sending a glare in his direction. I saw, he still didn't look at me through his white hair. _That ass is still ignoring me. Am I really that unpleasant to look at? _Did he think I wasn't worth his time now that he had a pretty little perfect girlfriend? What was it? It pissed me off not to know the answer.

After Momo finished greeting everyone. She led us to the game room and told us that, since she rented out the whole bath house, we could chose whatever room we wanted. But first, he had to show us the game room.

Momo let us know that the game room was sort of the cross roads for maneuvering through the rooms. Since the halls all looked identical, I was told to use the game room for identifying which direction my hall was in.

The game room only had a ping-pong table and some board games for kids. So of course, to blow off my obvious steam(which came from Toshiro's ignoring me), Hairo offered to play me in a game of ping-pong.

Everyone stepped into the large, surprisingly empty, space. Ayame, sweetheart, Ichigo, Yuzu, and LuvLuv, found their way to the set of doors that lead to the outside deck, where they sat in patio chairs and spoke of who knows what. As they began to settle, Momo and Toshiro quietly entered behind Hairo and I, and this was when Hairo offered, "Hey, why don't we play some ping-pong?"

Toshiro, however, surprisingly intervened, "I would advise that you stay away from her," He warned.

Momo snagged the end of Toshiro's white shihakusho sleeve, as if to warn him of something. She looked down and avoided eye contact.

"Dude, chill, a ping-pong game is hardly overstepping boundaries."

Toshiro glared at Hairo, "I'm keeping my distance because master asked it of me. But I will not stand by idly and watch you-"

"I haven't even done anything yet!" Hairo retorted.

What were they talking about?

"I'm backing off, but you better do the same," he threatened. before leaving the room. Momo followed, frowning slightly.

Slowly, I began to piece together everything. After he left the room, Hairo could only stand, fuming as much as I was. He was rarely ever upset—about anything, really. But I suppose it's that "code" guys have. The guy doesn't go after the girl if she's taken. I guess Hairo was getting defensive because Toshiro was getting in his way. But what would Toshiro even care? Toshiro wasn't looking at me..But that's because, I remembered that he said, "..because master asked it of me.." And he didn't call me master anymore. So it could only be his new master which..Momo made him stay away?

"You have no idea how pissed I am now," I mumbled, fuming with anger.

I snagged a ping-pong paddle and ball, tossing another to the Hairo.

"Let's hope you can live through this," I said.

"What?" Hairo asked.

But it was too late. I snagged the ball and slammed it down with my paddle. It went flying at his face, but he seemed to freeze it, with my rage.

Why did I have to go to the hot spring? Why did I have to have my period now! Why did I even have to find Toshiro! Why did I even find him just to lose him to some girl? These questions without answers, they frustrated me. But Hairo paused all of that so easily. He paused my anger, in the form of a ball, and just let it sit against his paddle.

Then, he slammed the ball back and sent it hurling for me. Though this was a more friendly and taunting than my fierce hit before. We rallied for a long while before finally resolving to continuing our game after a few hours. I knew he was giving me time. I was about to burn out from using too much energy. And he hadn't even broken a sweat.

But I never did find out why Toshiro was so concerned about me playing a ping-pong game with Hairo. Everyone was in the room..And it was just a game! It wasn't like we were wrestling either..But, all I knew, was that Toshiro wasn't jealous. He just didn't seem that way. Did he?

* * *

Quietly, I soaked myself in the warm water. My hair was carelessly pinned up and seemed to fall lower, the deeper I went into the water. But I didn't care. The water was too soothing and attracting to care.

I sighed in its serene steam and splashed around slightly, in my relaxation. I always liked warm things in the season of cold..

"Shiro-chan?" I heard in a whisper to my right.

"What?" he said, just as impatiently as before.

"You promised you'd show me!" that same pure voice whined.

I slowly lifted myself up out of the water, taking care not to make any noise in coming out. I located the sound in a room to my right.

This is the second time I was eavesdropping. Toshiro would definitely sense me again, but, would it actually matter to him whether I listened or not. Was I of any importance at all?

"Do, to me, what you did to her," Momo said.

I wanted him to refuse..And I knew he probably was. But I was tortured by my inability to speak. Because, assume I was _her_, what had been done to me was not to be repeated.

"It's an order, as you master," Momo said, "Don't forget that."

That _her_ was me. I knew it. Who else could it be anyways?

I slid backward in the water as I suddenly knew what Toshiro had to do. It wasn't a question anymore. Because he had to follow his orders. He couldn't say no.. I hoisted myself up out of the water and threw on my white kimono before sprinting down the hall. This early into the trip, my hopes were shattered. I couldn't relax here, even if I tried. Because he was here..And he was with her. Something banged in my chest. A hurt that was worse than death. Worse that life. Worse than anything. It was an absence and an obscene hate, fear, and pit of rage that existed as a hole in my heart. Something that made me just want to go to sleep and never wake up..A feeling that could not be dealt with. I didn't look at where I was running, because I didn't care. Because I knew what Momo was going to do with him, and I knew that I could do nothing to stop them.

Then suddenly, I came to slam into something. I caught sight of a pair of familiar blue eyes and brown hair. I knew now, that those eyes were hiding loneliness...And pain. Pain that I had just felt. He, all this time, he was holding back for me. Or at least, for the "code." He did this despite hurting and being a shadow in my mind. He even told me that he though Toshiro made me happiest. He didn't even give himself a chance; I didn't give him a chance.

I snagged his wrists and tugged him into an unused room, room 109. Surprised, he stared at me for a second, inside the room, before giving me that same smile of his and saying, "Hey Karin!"

That idiot, now I knew his smile was all but fake.

I suspected he had just finished bathing because he was in the guys' white kimono. One which strongly resembled Toshiro's from when I first met him(the same one Toshiro wore now). I seized his damp hand and pushed him down on the bamboo floor. This room was clear of all furniture, excluding a small candle and candle stand, in the far left corner.

Behind me, I stretched my bare foot back against the sliding doors to use as stability to help hold him down.

"D-did I do something wrong?" he asked, stupidly; seeing my distressed expression.

I began to hide my face in my hair as the pin in my long locks slipped and fell, with a clink, to the ground. My coal black hair followed the pin and draped down my back and over my shoulders.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked him, tears filling my eyes. Somehow, by fully seeing me, he blushed slightly. I could understand now, that strange hurt and jealousy in your heart. He was feeling that, all this time.

"It hurts so much," I began, snagging the flap of his kimono. "Why didn't you tell me that you where feeling this way? Why didn't you tell me you were alone!" I exclaimed.

He stopped looking at me and began to stare at the ceiling, "Let's face it," he explained, "he's the only one one your mind."

"No that's not true!" I exclaimed, tightening my grip on his clothes, surprised he looked away.

I didn't want it to be that way. Because then the same would go for me. No, I wasn't like Hairo! I was far too self-centered to want another's happiness over my own! And yet, if I looked harder, I could have seen that Hairo was always there. Yet I never looked his way..Would it be the same way with Toshiro and me?

I pushed myself up so that my hands and my feet where spread around him, my hair began to drape to the left as I snagged Hairo's clothes again and flipped him to the right so that he was on top of me. Suddenly, I had a desire to do something. Something profound.

For some reason I wanted Hairo's fire to warm me. Winter was approaching, and if anything, Toshiro's cold lips were not what I wanted. I remembered my only kiss with Hairo..It was hot and warm. When the cold came, it was natural to want fire. Right? Yes.. I wanted fire.

Hairo pinned my hands at my sides and said briefly, "What are you doing?"

"How can you possibly be so selfless?" I asked, trying to force my hands away..but he was too strong.

Somehow, out of my hormones or out of my jealously—or maybe just passion of affection—I wanted him. Did I like him? Was I fickle enough to be infatuated with two people?

"Karin what are you talking about?" he asked.

"I know!" I yelled, and he began to turn solemn, "I know what it's like now! To be so jealous that you hate yourself..And to be so alone that you wish you knew what was wrong with you," I felt a tear jerk my being as it slid down the side of my eye.

"Please," I said, "For one night, help forget about Toshiro."

His eyes widened at the mentioning of Toshiro's name. And something seemed to click in his head.

I tried again to free my hands. I wanted that heat...His heat..But he wouldn't free my wrists.

I stared at him for awhile, he did the same.

Finally, he took both my hands and pinned them above my head with his right hand and took his free his hand to caress my chin. He set me afire as he passionately pressed his lips against mine.

It was the exact opposite of Toshiro's kisses; yet just as aggressive. It made my blood boil and my heart warm up. I forgot everything as sparks ran down my spine. I wanted him to go further. As far as Toshiro's touch went with me, but he stopped, like a gentleman.

He pulled me up by my waist and pulled me into a comforting hug. The dark room began to grow brighter as the sun of REM began to set slowly, casting its orange, yellow, and red light into the room. The dark room was dimly illuminated.

"She's challenging you," Hairo said.

"What?" I asked, pulling away from the hug.

"You saw something having to do with Momo, right?"

I didn't want to think about everything, I tried to silence him by kissing him, but he didn't comply, he held me out by my shoulders, and stared me straight in the eye, "This isn't the way to deal with everything,"

"What?" I asked, perplexed by how this suddenly turned into a therapy session.

"Do you really think that it was a coincidence that Toshiro and Momo just happened to be in the same vicinity as you? And you just happened to see them?"

Actually I just overheard them, but his general meaning caught my attention, "How did you know it was Momo..And that I was upset about that...?"

"Didn't Momo say she wanted to talk to you?" He asked.

"Yeah.."

"Well this is her way of talking to you. Anyone could see that you were upset about something having to do with Toshiro. And chances are, it was something to do with Momo as well. Like I said, she's probably trying to tell you something.."

The way he read me was amazing..How did he..How could he know about my feelings that well?

"Besides, you wouldn't throw yourself at me for no reason," Hairo laughed, "But seriously, if I weren't respectful, you'd be in real trouble-"

Irritated, I took my hand and whacked him in the back of the head, blushing slightly.

He rubbed the back of his head and groaned, but continued afterward, "Being alone hurts, she wanted you to feel that for some reason. But you aren't," he said, now looking me in the eye. I stared at him as well, "So then, she could only being making you feel those things because she felt them. And she wants to tell you-"

"She wants me to back off and let her have her way," I finished.

Hairo was in 9th grade. And his way of thinking was so quick and clever. No matter what, I supposed, he always helped people. Because he was that brilliant.

Why did she think I even cared? Did she think she was the top of the world? I didn't even care about Toshiro..Did I? She made me hurt so much, without so much as looking me in the eye. Why? Because she wants to tell me that I'm going to suffer the way she did. Because without Toshiro, one rival will fade against the other. She's telling me that Toshiro is hers. But the only natural thing for fire to do, when an area is blocked off, is to move onward, in a different direction. I..I wasn't going to let Momo defeat me for any purpose! I'd get Toshiro back! I'd beat some sense into him; tell him that being as fickle as to accept a different master, then he'd have another thing coming! He..He was my pet! I found him first..He owes me for teaching him! _I'll get him. And I'll get Momo. _

"Hairo, let me participate in the World-Arena Tournament," I said, standing up, with new determination.

"Huh?" he asked, getting up too.

"I'll be the captain, you'll train me and the other maids," I commanded.

"Ok..Wait..What?" He asked, staring at me.

"If she wants a challenge," I said, smirking, "We'll give her one. We'll beat her at her own game."

"I don't think that was her challenge. She was implying... I think she was talking about Tosh-"

"We'll have to get started soon..It's going to take awhile to train the maids." I said, ignoring him and forgetting my intentions for bringing him into this room.

I snagged his arm and shoved open the door to the room, dragging him out behind me. He was in a daze for a second before finally snapping out of it and laughing, "You're so straight forward. Just forgetting one thing and moving onto the next."

"Oh don't think I've forgotten about how you rejected me," I laughed.

He blushed, "You make it sound so ill intended.."

"Don't worry," I giggled, as I glanced back at him, "I'll get you back when we win against Momo and Toshiro. Everyone who disobeys Kurai-Hime has to be punished," I laughed, winking back at him. He laughed too.

By now, he was walking behind me, and I timidly let go of his kimono..Now the heat of what I had just done in the back room made the atmosphere awkward. What had I done? Why had I just snapped like that..Was I upset? No, Hairo and I had been playing soccer together since I was put into the boy's soccer team...I couldn't have just developed an attraction to him that quick! But, then again, it happened with Toshiro..And everything about me was developing..quickly..So it's not far fetched to think that I changed...

I blushed slightly at the thought. Then Toshiro wouldn't be the fickle one, I'd be. But then again, I never liked Toshiro! No, Toshiro wasn't real. I was just getting him back because he needed punishment for...Going against me? Yes, that was it.

"What's up?" Hairo asked, looking at my flush face.

I suddenly looked up and saw his curious face, that face that girls obsessed over. I suddenly understood those girls. Those sparkling blue eyes suddenly spoke to me as something more. That tall, muscular body, seemed more that just for soccer. I felt protected near him. His expressions, and genuine smiles, despite whatever pain his life endured, were everything to some girls..And they were very important to me..Almost..They almost seemed to support me in my darkest hours. I gazed at him for a split second, then looked away, feeling more red than ever, "N-nothing," I stuttered, while avoiding his eyes.

I would have never even guessed—nor did I want to—think about how all the maids at Maid Cafe would fair in their training. But no matter what, I'd force them to help. Because, somehow, I had the determination to beat Toshiro into his place. Because his life was in danger as well..What would the REM staff do if they knew he was self-aware? I couldn't help but think about what I was getting myself into..All for someone who didn't exist..But Momo was right to some degree. If I looked harder..Maybe he was real.

I was confident that I'd win. We had Hairo. I had Hairo. He was REM's top player(Momo was only #3) and he..He was mine, and I knew he only had eyes for me. Toshiro, on the other hand, probably had his eyes on his new master. It was probably part of his programing to like his master; that's why his auto system greeted me with that kiss. But who knows..Maybe his auto system is just his instinct. Whatever that meant for his feelings toward Momo, I didn't know.

I was like fire. Now, as the season turns cold, the fire did not seek its opposite. Rather, it wished for a new attraction; to a flame that would sustain it through the perilous winter. The question was, when in became hot, how would the fire's feelings change?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Hey everyone! Thanks for 100 reviews! YAY! XD my goal is finally met! Sorry for the late update, but my B-day was this Sunday..And I didn't have my laptop on Friday and Saturday so... Gome everyone! But I made a _Thanks For 100 Reviews _drawing for ya'll and scanned it XD so check my photobucket link on my profile! ^^ I'll make a double chappy for ya'll in a few days..So thanks so much! And keep up the reviews! :P**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**

**Reviewers to Thank:**

**PrincessKayleeJ**

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**strawberry fishcakes**

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**Sweet and Deadly**

**Captain Jas**

**Thanks so much everyone! XDD Happy thanksgiving!**


	8. A Maid's Lover

A Maid's Lover

He was so annoying! I supposed because—while I could only sit around and wondering about him—he was busy making out with his pretty little girlfriend! He pissed me off because he just forgot about me; after all he made me endure—after all he made me feel. I was going to get him back, because no one pisses off Kurai-Hime. In a way, I suppose I felt cheated because of Momo's timing. I helped Toshiro become more educated for a reason.

When I found him in the hidden quest, I knew that he was raw and his curiosity was a reflection of his inexperienced youthfulness. And when he finally learned enough to be an actual individual, he was taken from me. And now Momo was enjoying his company. Though I hated to admit it, I was really hotly anticipating my chance to see him become real. And because he had the capacity to reject his formal master—to move on from my company—he had undergone the ultimate test of independence. I bet he thought of me like a mother. I guess I never got to see him in full bloom.

Never got to see him when he was real...

* * *

_In the Game_

"Hey wait, what are you doing? We're supposed to train!" I said to Hairo as he zoomed out of the lounge door.

"Can't. Starting my new job today." Hairo said, "Train by yourself." With that, he used his transportation dot to disappear.

"What was that all about?" I asked Yuzu.

"Didn't he just say? he has a new job." Yuzu said, blowing me off.

Hiding things from me, eh? Well I suppose the right thing to do would be to forget about it. But then again, I wasn't keen on doing the "right" thing.

Tomorrow, I'd stalk the hell out of Hairo until he lead me to his job.

Suddenly, Yuzu snagged my hand, "Com'on, we have to go to the gathering."

I paused for a second. But then burst out in irritation, "Why does no one tell me about anything?"

"Huh? The message was sent to your mail box, don't you check it?" Yuzu asked.

"My what?" I asked.

She stopped and LuvLuv, appearing magically, as she always does, sighed and continued, "The participants of the Tournament are required to make an appearance today. If we don't go when they ask, we'll be disqualified."

"Wait, but-"

"Just go, Karin. I know you don't like following orders-"

"Bad news, looks like a storm's gonna be coming!" Ichigo said, yelling through the walls from the restaurant.

Then suddenly, I went back to the only other time I had been in REM's rain. That night made me shiver all over as I remember what the old Toshiro used to be like...Back when he was still curious about a boring girl like me.

"Wait, does that mean that Toshiro and Momo will be there.."

"And all of our other competitors," Sweetheart said, hopping up from the couch.

I forced my hand away from Yuzu's and slowed.

"If you don't go, we're prepared," Ayame said, holding a small potion in her hand. And I knew that it was probably some voodoo REM liquid that'd knock me out. I had nothing to do, no where to go. But of course, maybe it wouldn't be as bad as the last two times I met him. Oh, who was I kidding? Every time I saw him I was furious; he was no longer irritating, he was maddening! I couldn't trust myself around him, because my emotions turned into a roller coaster whenever he was around. Mostly because I was just too confused. I shouldn't have been feeling anything in the first place because he wasn't real! But that just hurt my head even more. At least with Hairo I could understand myself a bit more!

Hairo..Wait, if he was participating, shouldn't he go to the meeting too? He's big on REM so he should have gotten the message. Was his 'new job' that important? Important enough to ignore my training? I was interested to see his new occupation even more. But the fact that he ran away hastily meant that he didn't want to tell me. I'd find out, no matter what.

* * *

A fat woman with pink, curled hair stood before us. She was an NPC and was to be the announcer for this year's World-Arena Tournament. She was wearing a tightly tailored skirt and coat. Neither of which flattered her bulging figure. Her stubble of fingers raised as her diminutive arms extent to the crowd. Looking over all 1000 of the participants from central city, atop a huge stage, in front of a mic, she proclaimed,

"Welcome, one and all, to the 30th annual World-Arena Tournament! We have gathered all of the surrounding participants to try something new!" She said, with a shrill, preppy voice.

Everyone was in a huge white dome, covered in white flooring. The location I was in was known as the Paradox zone for its infinite space. Although the large dome should be all room at which the building takes, I'd heard there where several halls that gave way to other rooms, some even bigger than the dome. All concealed within the one structure. In this conference-room-like area, the announcer's voice boomed with echos.

"We have been receiving several complaints on our Tournament being unfair because of the training preparations, between players, varying. So, to prevent a lawsuit, everyone this year will receive training from equally skilled players. Then, any individual knowledge or training is entirely beyond the control of the REM staff. In other words, you will receive training here, in the world stadium, every Wednesday at this time. This is mandatory. Whether you would like to go further with your training is your decision. We of the REM staff wish you a very joyous experience. Please escort yourselves to B hall, located at the right most corner behind me. There, you will be assigned your trainers. Thank you and have a great day." She said, and in an instant, she disappeared!

Then, suddenly, a rage of people surged for B hall, while others pushed against the crowd for the exit. Most likely, those people had somewhere they'd rather be. But I knew that the exits were likely locked; some how though, I still wanted to turn around and go back. Obviously, all this information was hard to take in. But there wasn't really anything to think about at the moment, I'd have to train every Wednesday with someone I didn't know. What's more was that, since Toshiro was located in Central City, he was here somewhere. And I'd have to be this close to him weekly!

As the horde smashed me forward, into B hall, I saw nothing but an endless stream of people. My auto system told me that not many of them where at a very high level. But it scared me to see that some of them where so high that their levels where known as "incomprehensible" to my avatar. I was level 300! What could be any higher?

I couldn't do anything, and I had already drifted away from Yuzu and the others—during the announcer's speech—so I was in a serious bind as I didn't know where I was, and I couldn't fight to continuous current of every changing faces.

Then suddenly, something snagged my wrist and I was forced out of the tight crowd, I stammered backward, but was finally free of all the people as I saw someone in front of me, holding my wrist tight, and zooming through the crowd of people. The person before me was cloaked in a strange black cape. My auto system told me, that this person was someone with an "incomprehensible" level. Your character only says that a level is "incomprehensible" if the player before you was more than 200 levels about you. If that was the case, this person was likely to be my foe(if I ever made it through the competition long enough to take their measure).

How did they fight against the crowd? They didn't. By simply moving their hands left and right, every person in their way would slam up against the nearest walls. Like sardines in a can, they'd flop on top of each other to form a substantially large path before me and the figure. Whatever spell err magic the person was using was strong. Like nothing I'd even seen on the Dork(Game) Channel. Who in the world was this person?

I looked down at my hand to see if there was a clue about the person before me. The hand around my wrist was thin and small but rough and strong. The fingernails seemed to be carelessly trimmed. Obviously this was not a girl's hand. But then again..they could just be a tomboy, like me. Their speed could be a spell. Hell! They may have an appearance spell cast on them..Or have used a morphing potion! I just knew it wasn't Toshiro or Hairo; this person was way to short for both Toshiro and Hairo's towering figures.

But, at first appearance, I decided to assume it was a guy. That way it wouldn't get all confusing.

The person led me to C hall which was bare of any soul. Finally, the person stopped and let go of my wrist. I took my wrist in my other and twirled it in circles, massaging the pain of his grip away.

"I'm assuming that you pulled me out of the crowd for a reason," I said.

The figure turned around slowly and walked up to me in their short body. They where not quite as small as sweetheart, but about the same height as my body in real life.

"So this is what you're gonna look like in a few years..Scary. I almost didn't recognize you." The person removed their black hood and looked up at me.

My eyes widened in astonishment. There she stood, looking the same as she did in real life, with no alteration to her avatar. Those small freckles on her chipmunk cheeks. Those still-young-and-huge brown eyes that glimmered with the same look I had in my real body. The look of a tomboy. The look of a girl determined to prove that, despite prejudices, females can still kick ass. The rebellious look of her eyes were framed by her jagged, short, blond pony tails. She smiled at me through her peach skin and thin lips. A sinister smile.

"Training a pansy like you is gonna be tough," She winked through her crooked smile.

I gasped and began, "Hiyori-san?" Then, in even more surprise, I got down on my knees, finally at a slight eye level with her.

I put my hand on top of her head and began in and giggle, "Wow, you're so short."

I laughed even harder as I was assured it was Hiyori. A vein popped and she began screaming so loud in frustration with her own diminutive size. Though she was 15 years old, and would not be growing any time soon, she was still only 4"4'.

* * *

I slid along and staked the ground with my weapon. Again, my hands shook as the weight of my blade began to sink in. Again, I lost grip of it. And again, I could do nothing but wait as Hiyori lectured me again about "never dropping my sword". Then she'd go on to insult my avatar as saying it was lesser than my current body. I agreed completely..But it still hurt.

"Get this," Hiyori said, swinging her sword in my direction, "the sword is an extension of the soul, so there should be no reason for you to drop it!"

"It's heavy, ok," I snapped, I was tired of her yelling at me.

"Having an attitude with me is not going to make it lighter," she retorted."If you were to listen to what I tell you," she began, "I bet you would actually start showing some results-"

"Now, now, don't be mean, lil' hiccup," a voice spoke as a huge hand was planted in Hiyori's blond locks.

She glared and turned back to face the person. Opposite from her, I had a perfect view of the person behind her. Once more, those blue eyes still continued to glimmer with the reflection of his continuous outer smile. Through his dark brown hair, his eyes sparkled even more.

He smiled and laughed as he looked at my gasping expression, "I told you I had a new job, right?"

Dripping with sweat, he looked rather..sexy. I blushed at the recollection of the last time I'd seen him like this. The first time I felt something like this heat. During soccer practice.

"Retard! Go back to your side of the training arena!" Hiyori snapped at him.

"Isn't it strange that you happened to know Karin and magically became her trainer of the hundreds of others here." Hairo said, and suddenly, Hiyori stiffened. I knew it was kinda weird that she just 'chose' me to teach. In fact, wasn't I supposed to be assigned a trainer? Hiyori just plucked me out of the crowd. But wasn't I in that crowd to get a trainer?

"We'll talk about this later," Hairo said, slapping his hand on Hiyori's shoulder. This sent a shiver down her back and she abruptly excused herself. I bet she wasn't supposed to 'choose' me. But she was never afraid of anyone. So why Hairo? Hairo wasn't even scary in the least! Maybe optimists scared her. That was a funny thought.

Everyone wore the same thing for training. And we were all crammed into a different section of the paradox where a desert-like dry area stretched for as far as the eye could see. Nothing grew, it was just a layer of rubble along the ground. And the sky was a white dome. Here, we would be trained within the possible environments that the tournament could take place in. The desert was only part of how the paradox was set up. Go far enough along and there was a training for using magic underwater. And further off, near the resting station, was the forest habitat. Then all the other halls had other environments. I was told that I would cycle to each habitat every 3 weeks. After I'd done them all, I was free to go.

With his own weapon—ironically also a sword—swung over his shoulder, he strode up to me with his sandals scratching against the pebbles on the ground, "Having fun?" he laughed.

"Why didn't you tell me this was your job?" I pouted.

"Calm down," he began, "I doubt it would've mattered anyway. Besides, what's the fun in telling you?"

"You're so immature!" I exclaimed, whacking him upside the head.

He rubbed the back of his head in a cliche manner and winced, "And who's 12 years old?"

His kimono-like training outfit fluttered slightly as he rushed over to me and snagged my wrist. He pulled me in as close as I ever was with any guy; close enough to make me feel as if he were about to make a move. With his intoxicating gaze, he pulled my waist in with his other hand. I began to shrivel with the remembrance of seeing Toshiro's aggressive side. But this time, it was a different person; someone who had not been tipped off about my weakness.

"Besides, what's so immature about wanting me on your mind," He smiled, leaning me back slightly. I let all my weight rest on his hand, hopping that he might let go from my heaviness. But he was far too strong to even feel me.

He gripped the back of my kimono tightly. I winced and tried to fight off the same urge I had with Toshiro. The urge to be _feminine_ and let things go. Showing aggressiveness; my weakness. He'd figured it out. But the captain of the soccer team wasn't going to know that he'd found it. I was going to fight the impulse to be passive. Or at least try to.

I blushed and looked away from him, to the sandy pebbles of the ground, up to the white ceiling; anything to keep that intoxicating gaze off me.

"You're not upset with me, are you?" He asked.

Well obviously I was upset, idiot! Why else would I be screaming his head off. But in my current position, I was a dog with its ears poised back in submission. I could do nothing but agree with the alpha.

I shook my head and began to feel the red creeping up my cheeks. He drew my chin up to face him, but I still tried to avoid his eyes. But only once, did I look, was I petrified.

"Hmm, what's that, I couldn't hear you?" He says, smiling.

Even more terrifying and beautiful when they where aggressive. His eyes seemed to burn with something; a cool leveled heat. Almost composed and controlled enough to make you _want_ to disturb it. He could definitely play violent; just like Toshiro. But his eyes spoke of a different fire. Less wild and more radiant. I wasn't sure which I liked most; Toshiro's unbelievably impulsive, spin chilling experiences, or Hairo's calm, hormone jerking, hot and heart racing moments.

No, I had to correct myself, Toshiro wasn't real. He was not even in the race.

Wait, what race? GAHH! My tomboy-like qualities were disappearing before my eyes!

I whispered to Hairo, feeling slightly flustered as if the submitting dog were to have the boldness to defy, "You idiot."

"Hmm?" he asked, and for that split moment, his eyes lost their dangerous luster, and I pushed away, relieved I distance myself before someone else on the training field saw us.

I proceeded to bashing him in the head again, "Didn't I tell you to stay away? What part of personal space don't you get!" I exclaimed.

Nostalgically, he rubbed the back of his head once more and began, "Well yeah, but you could have just pushed away like you did just now." His face turned into that same smile again, "I don't get why you're scolding me when you didn't seem to want me to stay away."

It was as if something within me snapped. That smile, was always the same smile. But used while saying that last statement, now that just pissed me off. His obliviousness to my weakness was annoying. He was just as clueless as Toshiro sometimes. I partially hated myself for having such a lame weakness. But, the majority of my mind was clouded with embarrassment from the truth of what he just said. Part of me wanted him to continue.

Fuming, I turned around coldly and crossed my arms, "W-well I guess I can let it slide this time.."

He laughed, "I _promise_ I won't come near you again."

Even though he was being sarcastic, his words mirrored that of Toshiro's. His words that he gave me on that fateful night. Hairo began to walk off in the opposite direction before I turned around and snagged his wrist. For a moment, he was Toshiro. What I should have said to him before he left.

I hid my face in my hair and felt the tears bubbling up, "No..Don't go!"

He looked back, at seeing my crying face, he immediately turned around, "No wait, don't cry! It was just a joke!"

"You retard.." I began, sobbing, "that's not the point.." I sniffled and let go off his hand using both of mine to wipe away the useless tears that seemed to cascade down my face for no reason.

"I-I'm sorry," he said, "for anything I did wrong, I'm sorry.."

I punched him in the stomach to shut him up, then continued to let the tears pour out of my eyes. My voice ripped as I said, "You idiot! Quit apologizing!"

"Why're you crying?" he asked.

I shook my head, "The tears just won't stop coming."

"Jeez, you're as hormonal as a pregnant woman," Hairo said, glancing away and laughing to himself.

I looked at him in rage, my face still blotchy and spilling with tears.

"But that's one of your good qualities!" he adds, hastily, lifting his hands up in defense of the expected blow. I looked at him, in disbelieve, and he continued explaining for fear that I would hit him again, "It's refreshing," he said, putting his hands down, "You're so full of energy that it's like a roller coaster ride. You're always so interesting, and I never know what's on your mind."

Unlike the straightforward pretty girls he was used to, I suppose a tomboy was a bit different for him. Because I didn't obsess over him in a stereo typical way. I some ways, he was on my mind a lot. But I suppose his explanation was reasonable. My eyes stopped crying immediately...But they were still red as any would be. All I could say was,

"You're one to talk about roller coaster rides. I specifically tell you not to come close to me and you stil-" I began, but then stopped as I heard a familiar voice ring through the air.

"I'm back from break; sorry it took so long, Master was holding me up. I couldn't find you either-" he stopped short in his sentence I as I took him in with wide eyes. He also looked back at me. Hastily trying to dry my eyes and make myself look presentable, I stopped. Wait, just because he was in person didn't mean he wasn't still my enemy! I should observe his progress compared to mine. The easiest part was that I knew I had made absolutely no progress.

But, he looked completely different! His white hair was lax, as if representing some sort of absence in curiosity. His skin was much more tan and his teal eyes where more narrow and cold. He'd built up even more muscle than he had before. And his towering stature had even more definition. His level was different too! The same as Hiyori was with me! "Incomprehensible" in just a few weeks? Was his training with Momo that beneficial? In the black training kimono, he almost seemed completely opposite of the boy in white which I had so carefully plucked out of a lonely cave.

His and my eyes turned cold toward each other in an instant, "Long time no see," I said.

"So, you're competing too?" he asked.

"Nice of you to take an interest in my affairs," I began.

"Don't misunderstand. You're not worth having an interest in," he said, giving me an almost piercing glare. That glare was something that I knew all too well; hate. And despite my unknowing of his reasons, I immediately put up an opposing wall of equal hate. What was his problem? The aura around him was too cold. Right now, all I felt for was fire.

I didn't have anymore to say, so I turned away.

"Hairo!" I exclaimed, "He said he was 'back from break,' is he your student?"

"Yeah...I was gonna tell you-"

"Quit your job or quit my team." I said, and walked off to search for Hiyori.

If Hairo was going to be part of my team; he would compete and train with us. Not assist the enemy. I needed Hairo more than he needed me. But the REM staff couldn't be paying him _that_ much. I mean, they have to mail the yen all the way from America. They couldn't be paying him enough that he'd abandon me..Right? I stomped off in a rage, but I couldn't help but hear the footsteps following behind me.

Hiyori came out of the entrance to the refreshments hall, hall D. She was holding two bamboo water containers.

"Oh, hey Karin!" She said, laughing, "Listen, I know you're wondering about that guy and all. He's the new boss around here, his smile kinda creeps me out an-"

"Not now," I blurted out, walking past her.

"Now hold up, I'm telling a story!" Hiyori exclaimed, her temper flaring as much as mine.

I turned around, burning a furious aura, "Well I don't feel like hearing you babble!"

"Excuse me? Who have I been listen to whine all day long? If you would actually get your head straight, we might make half the progress expected of you and actually make you level some!" She yelled.

I was taken aback. I didn't speak. Nor did I want to accept that her words could not have been said any better. It shocked me to think that her words had an unintended double meaning. And both meanings ran true to my heart. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't make decisions, I couldn't keep my emotions in check. I couldn't feel boyish anymore, I couldn't just wear a T-shirt. I had to wear a bra. I had to have uncontrollable hormones. I had to have two boys chasing after me. I had to have mixed feelings. I had to deny one boy. He had to hate me. I had to hate him; I had to like another. Everything started with REM and, if I were to just quit it, it would end. If REM would've had less realistic programing, I could have never found Toshiro. But I could get rid of all this confusion if I just switched my job. Otaku Cafe. Maid's Healing. REM. I realized how attached I had become to them all. And instead of cleaning everything up, I left it all to fester. And in the end, I never had anything decided.

I shut my mouth and closed my eyes tight. Grabbing the water out of Hiyori's hand, I continued on walking, "I need a break," I said.

I was still aware of the pair of footsteps trailing behind me. In the same pattern they where always in. It was strange how I recognized these little details. But how could I forget? There was a time where I was constantly followed like a lost pup to a human.

Hiyori was a friend of mine; well she was a friend of Ichi-nii's. We used to play together when I was younger. But I'd heard that Hiyori moved away. And after that, I never saw her again. So why did she just happen to know that I was Kurai-Hime? If just anyone knew, wouldn't my house be flooded with news reporters? At any rate, I couldn't comprehend the reasons for which Hiyori wanted to train me. And now, all those years after she left, she had the audacity to see right through me. How could even she do it so easily? I couldn't understand. I was mad at everything and everyone in this game.

I stopped in the resting area and found it packed with people. I decided to walk on in the vast training area and find a suitable place to sit. All the while, those same feet that followed me since the cave, had been trailing behind.

When I finally settled for the forest environment of the arena, I sat up against a large bolder and admired the tall trees that touched the top of the ceiling, and the waterfall nearby. The fake birds chirped sweetly and the grass was also real to the touch. But this whole training area was fake..Just like Toshiro. Not only because it's only for the different tournament habitats that could appear, but because REM was just another World of Warcraft. Addicting. Nothing more.

I leaned back on the bolder and finally let my eyes drag to the right, "I'd rather be alone now, Toshiro," I said.

He walked up from the same path I had taken, he obviously followed me everywhere with no intention of hiding himself. Because he wasn't spying, he had to say something.

"I requested Hairo as my trainer. It's unfair to make him choose between his job-"

"Or me?" I interrupted. I closed my eyes and sighed, "There's no sense in him helping a future enemy, so I made a logical decision."

I turned my head in his direction and flapped my feet out in front of me so that my water was inbetween my legs and my hands were gripping at the grass at my sides.

He continued to walk forward, his training sandals making a crunching noise as he walked on the foliage of the forest floor.

"So now I'm suddenly an enemy?" he asked.

"I doubt it makes a difference what you are to me. I don't even know myself...At least not anymore," I laughed bitterly.

He now stood directly in front of my outstretched legs. As he peered over me, I saw a glint of the old Toshiro in his eyes. The one that had something of an attraction to me. But that puppy love faded in a split second as he began once more, in a cold tone, "And you know what Hairo is to you?" he asked.

"Don't bring him into this," I sighed.

"I see the way you look at him now, It's not something I like. I never liked you being around him," he said.

"You don't know your feelings either," I said, bursting out what I was thinking in a rage of anger, "You can't say anything about me if you don't even know what I am to you! Why would you care about how I look at him? Why would you be jealous of him if you yourself chose to leave me! You have no right to lecture me if you can't even screw your head down enough to remember that you're supposed to have no interest in me! Or did I hear wrong when you-"

Everything seemed to freeze as the surrounding birds gave one last sound-full cry as they all flew away simultaneously. In that one moment, when no birds chirped, and even the noise of the rushing waterfall dissipated, that's when he leaned down and kissed me. My hand recklessly knocked over my water in a resounding clack to the ground. That clack seemed to last forever. And so did the kiss.

My eyes were wide in dismay. It was the same lips. But a different kiss. Even more intense! But like Hairo's stare, more composed. It was intoxicating and made me want more, despite not being the the season for his spin tingling kisses. I couldn't help but close my eyes and open my mouth the accept the kiss. It was almost painful, because I didn't want to. I had gotten so far into hating him. Could I be broken apart that easily? But I couldn't resist it, just as always. I slid back against the slippery wet grass and found Toshiro going down with me, also unable to stop what he had started. Until he was on his knees and I was struggling to not be slammed against the bolder by his passion. So when he grabbed my arms and pinned them up on either side of me, I found I was no longer up against the bolder, but on the water drenched grass. The container for the water was kicked away and Toshiro was now on top of me, just how he always was. This moment, when he lifted away, was so nostalgic. I was panting carelessly and hot with the adrenalin that sparked up when he kissed me.

He looked down at me with pained eyes, as if he was ashamed for what he just did. But those eyes soon turned back into a hate, "You're so infuriating," he began, in a half whisper, his less-spiky hair leaning forward as he peered over me. Searching my eyes, he said, "You're too straightforward and you never admit that you're wrong. You scold me for no reason and you make enemies without even taking others feelings into consideration. You assume the worst and take advantage of everything good in a person. After I knew who I was, I realized I hated everything about you!

"But then why is it, that whenever you walk by, I can't help but start thinking about every little detail—about every imperfection. How you can't walk in heels and you never looked my direction when you're serving people. How you're fists always ball up when you're angry. You'd always beat me; and I still remember what they feels like.

"Everything about you, I'm supposed to hate. But when you're near, I can't keep up. My attitude breaks and something like this happens." he looked me in the eye and gripped my wrists tighter, "You're so frustrating that I just _can't_ hate you."

Then I remembered back to what Yuzu had done. In my times of confusion, she's always comfort me. That really was what stopped me from quitting REM. Even if it's little, she did secure me for that moment. I don't know why I thought about what she did for me, but I lifted up my wrists against Toshiro's hand, he released his hold on me and I immediately ran my hands through his white locks. I drew him forward and held him close to me, in as much of a hug as I could give in this position.

"You're just like me then," I said, feeling my black hair become damp with water, "I guess it's true that I just can't hate you either."

His eyes were wide as I cradled him in my chest for a moment. Then, he seemed to relax as we just sat there for a moment. Forgetting all the drama and all the contradictions. Just for a second, everything was still.

"I guess I can't get rid of you then, no matter what I try," Toshiro said.

"Likewise," I replied, with a glint of happiness in my voice. We both didn't care anymore. About our feelings. Or anything. We'd let things be. And it felt rather blissful to have things be that way. Acting on what you feel and not trying to question it. Easy. Silently, we had conveyed our plan to deal with this confusion.

When I let him pull away, he seemed to have almost, amused eyes. More positive use of energy, I suppose. He smirked and said, "I'll see you in the final round then."

When I registered that he was talking about the final rounds of the tournament, I smiled back, "I'll be waiting."

"By the way," he said, getting up off the ground and putting his hand out to lift me up. While I took his hand, he began comically, "You should probably take a shower before you smother someone else in your breasts."

I gasped and let go of his hand, proceeding to use it to whack him. "Is that how you thank someone?" I asked.

"No, I'm sorry, _Mother_," he laughed, rubbing away my blow.

I sneered and boiled over with embarrassment, "YOU RETARD!" I barked.

"Can you only call people names?" he asked, "there you go again with your assumptions."

He drew closer and let his finger slide down the folds of my kimono, leaving it open enough to see part of my chest, shiny with sweat, "It was nice in there, don't get me wrong."

What's up with this attitude change. I quickly closed up my kimono and turned away, flustered, "You perv!" I exclaimed. Please don't tell me this was his impulsive action; this was not a compromised for, right?

"You're one to talk," he said, walking up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

I shivered as his cold hands slid up inside my kimono, "Toshiro, you're acting..." I said, wincing as I felt where his hand was, "stop it.." I blurted out, while panting. Something of a moan came out of me for a second.

He was acting like his auto system! Deviant. But I knew it was him; so his system hadn't taken over. "I don't follower your orders anymore," he whispered in my ear.

I took one of my hand and tried to push Toshiro's arm down. If I didn't keep resisting, I might just give in. But his aggression only gave way to my weakness. I didn't know how long I could hold out.

He bit my ear and I let out another moan, stiffening up for just a moment. When I relaxed, he continued to venture into my kimono. I turned my head back to him and said with weak eyes, "You promised you'd stay away."

"Didn't you make an exception for Hairo?" he asked, "Just a friendly duel; we'll see how long you can fight me off."

He knew about that? About what happened with Hairo..He was watching! I closed my eyes tight as Toshiro turned my head back to him, and—while I was still using my arms to fight off his own—he kissed me once. Enough to leave me panting. But I still held out, because this was a challenge. But I knew, the more I resisted, the more he'd go on. And that was the fun of it; because I wanted him to go one. A part of me did, and another didn't. In just a few hours, I had come from hating him, to wanting him this much.

High above the ground is what I felt. But I still couldn't give in to his passion. So I withstood it all, in my submissive state.

"What do...you want from me?" I asked, panting.

"I don't know," He whispered, stopping everything for a moment, "But I'm starved now."

I took his hands out of my kimono and lifted my hair, away to the side. I blushed and began, "Then you don't have to use my weakness to do it...I'll let you, just this once." I began to feel scorching hot as I stuttered, "J-just make sure you teach me everything from those books." He had promised, on that night, to stay away. But I was going to make an exception. Why? Because I was that intoxicated. Because I had agreed, in my silence, to act on impulse. And I knew what I wanted right now.

He obliged with a smirk, "Sure." And gladly continued, this time with a less frightening wildness. I enjoyed it even more now. He took a taste of my bare neck, as if being a vampire, and his hands dipped back into my kimono. He pulled my kimono up out of my pants and spun me around so that I faced him. Slowly, he started to slide the kimono off my shoulders—

"Stop!" we heard behind us. It came from a voice, as pure as the mountain air. And Toshiro immediately halted at the sound of her voice.

Behind a tree, those brownie eyes and button nose were red a blotchy. Momo. Had she been watching? But then, from behind her, I saw a face that could not have been mistaken for not crying as well. His unforgettable expression of sorrow as he looked at me with the watery blue eyes. He hid his face in his brown hair, and like a child, he could only say, "Why?"

"Hairo..." I whispered, looking down at myself.

I shook me head in shame. I was twelve years old. What was happening to me? It just..It just snapped, but was that a sufficient excuse for Hairo's distress. I was always so selfish for putting myself before everyone. I knew Hairo would have figured out eventually, but I didn't care. Now I did, because he was right in front of me when he figured it out. I wonder if the past two time, he had the same horrid expression; what had I done?

This is what happened when I believed he was real.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Phew! That was a fun chapter! So I didn't publish it last week because my stupid computer saved the document under the wrong coding..So I had to rewrite it all! In fact, Toshiro wouldn't have even shown up this chapter, if I didn't have my dream the night after the chapter was saved wrong. OMG, it was the weirdest dream ever! But I got one thing out of it—training in groups is disastrous but makes for a good story. Lolz, so yeah, we'll see how you guys liked this chappy!**

**Why is it that I sometimes have 12 reviews and then 21? Lolz It's kinda funny! But keep reviewing everyone, I love you!**

**Reviewers to thank:**

**Ilovebleach102012-I missed your reviews!**

**JWzipper-XD where did your penname come from? Lol, it's cool.**

**CaptainJas-hope your grandma gets better! XD update those stories, k! take it easy. ^^**

**Escapedslave99 -remember the cookie! Blueberry Absinth-awe, such a devoted friend!**

**SasuTenLuvr -I'm flattered that you like my Toshiro :P**

**meggie-moo s-you've been with me since Hello Professor right? Ah, the nostalgic Meg s XD**

**yellowbutterfly93 -Still have great taste in avatars.**

**Thorned Sunflower-I am not very good at writing, but I know you're good at advice ^^**

**()Person who said Kurai Hime should 'slow down'. XD -Love you for reviewing! But hey, get an account so I can reply to you!**

**Ichigo-the-Deathberry- Sorry for snapping at you, I've been very cranky lately, lolz. Probably PMS. XD Sorry for being rude in ur review reply. :)**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**

**P.S. Hey, sorry i didn't get to give you guys the double chappy. But my midterms are coming up and-between that and managing the anime club-I'm afraid all I can do is this chappy. Sorry!**

**See you next week everyone! XD review review review!**


	9. Broken

Broken

Have you ever wanted to erase something. Maybe a person. Maybe and an enemy. Or perhaps an action. An action from which you so desperately tried to erase, but to no avail. In life, of course we have our slip ups. But as a twelve year old, this was about the biggest screw up I'd even committed. Why? Because that day was wrong. It was out of character. But I still let it happen. And now, there was no turning back; because I had been caught in the act.

Disregarding what happened, Toshiro was still forced to follow Momo. Like a mother pulls their child away from the troubled. She would keep close watch over him. And frankly, since everything happened, he didn't really want to see me. Just like before, he ignored me; and that snap of passion was no where to be recorded. I assumed that our silent agreement had passed. The one that called forth subconscious desires; on that day we brought forth everything that we'd been holding in. And now that he's done with me—closed the chapter—He'll be the on to still have people by him.

Because now I'd lost both him and Hairo.

* * *

_In the Game_

It was beginning to become cold in REM as well. Well at least, kinda. Their "Christmas" was on its way. Though it was coming far too quickly to make any sense with the geography of the real world. Nonetheless, the training dome closed down for one day. And REM was completely remodeled with Christmas decorations. Today was one of the only days when I could go back to the beginning. Where I could just be a waitress for a moment. Where I could be alone for a second. Like I always wanted. But now didn't.

The bell jingled as I turned to see the customer. With as bright a smiling face I could give, I chirped, "Welcome to Maids' Healing," I grinned. But when I actually set eyes on the customer, I wanted to log out right then an there.

Standing right in front of me was Toshiro, in all his changed glory. The way he looked at me made me want to shrivel up and disappear.

"May I help you?" I asked him, now very serious because he wasn't a customer.

For one split second, he bit his lip as if to warn me that what he was going to say was not going to be good, "My master tells me to pass on this message: We need to meet tomorrow at-"

"Personal day!" I yell at Ichigo. And then log off. I didn't need at this extra bull crap going on in my life.

* * *

_Out of Game _

I looked up from where I sat, Across from me, in a different chair, was Yuzu, smiling as she took her dreams well in REM. I didn't feel like changing. So I kept on Otaku Cafe's maid outfit. I'd return it tomorrow. I passed through the tables full of people in REM head sets. And I left through the front door, something that had really never occurred to me to do.

Everything that'd happened now was swelling up in my head. I couldn't take it. That was the real reason why I logged out. Toshiro was one headache. All of my experiences were another. So I ditched one. And here comes the tackling of the other.

I walked aimlessly, until I passed the car wash, my old job before REM overtook my life. Its rusty facade and broken glass made me yearn for the times in which I was dirty with mud. I wish I'd stayed myself for a little while. Wish I had never grown up.

I didn't care as my friends drove by in their cars(with their parents) and saw me in my outfit. I didn't really care about anything. It was kinda cold outside, not much. In Japan, the temperatures were warming.

One drop. Snagged the side of my thigh. Another, square on the nose. In just a few moments, the rain poured down on me. I'd have to wash the outfit, but after stopping to decided on whether to take cover or not, I continued to walk on. This time I knew that Ichi-nii would not hear of me from Yuzu. That no one would come for me. So I kept going, like I always have to do. Move forward. Or else whatever's bad will bite you in the ass. It was too late though, it seemed depression already caught me.

To me, I guessed I had a crush on both of them. Because it killed me to not see Hairo, but when I was with him, I couldn't stop relating him to Toshiro. But when I was with Toshiro, I couldn't stop thinking about Hairo. I just couldn't comprehend everything. And by the time I finally grasped what kind of situation I was in, I'd lost both of them.

My soaked hair fell up against my back, I had even neglected to put it up in a ponytail before I left. My feet began to splash in the useless puddles of water on the side walk. And my miniskirt clung to my thighs, heavy with liquid.

My eyes widened as I saw someone at the cross walk, carrying a small white list and paper bag of food. He was holding the list and bag in one hand, and he kept and umbrella over his head. As he turned in my direction, he also stared through his white-blue eyes. His spiky brown bangs were barely visible beneath the yellow umbrella, but I knew it was him. I, a small 12 year old. He, a tall, fit high schooler.

He still gawked at me, and all I could do was break down crying. Somehow I felt so lonely. And I hoped he'd become who he used to be to me. Just a teacher and a friend, who'd help me through anything. I knew this was probably a lot to ask for. But in real life, I was just a kid, lost and immature. I really did hope he'd see that.

I sprinted toward him, eyes watery and buried in my hair. Everything just spiraled out of control. And I couldn't do anything to stop him from giving me the cold shoulder, but right now, I was trusting him to see that I had turned back into a child. A child shocked by the events that had just occurred so quickly.

I scurried up to him, soaking wet, and wrapped my arms around his waist, as I was far to small to reach any higher. His bag of supplies shook and fell on the rainy street.

"H-hairo," I stuttered, "I-'m so glad..." I heaved in a big breath.

He was frozen and questionably just standing there, unknowing of what to do.

"I...I was..I-I can't..." I couldn't form my words together, "..Take it." I said brokenly.

He was still for awhile, before he took his free hand and planted it in my coal black hair.

My eyes widen as I try to stifle my sobs. Everything that had happened came crashing down too fast. And I didn't know what I was doing. All at once, everything just fell apart. Now I don't have anyone; not even myself.

"W-who am I?" I cried. Some prissy girl with an abnormally attractive figure? Hormonally and sexually challenged. Those things described me now. What happened to the tomboy I was? Why couldn't I get out of this nightmare? This nightmare for which I was stuck being someone I hated; yet while I was her, I loved.

He didn't say anything. And as we stood there, the tune began for those at the crosswalk to cross. But we just stood there. I could feel my soaked body drenching his clothes. What was I doing now anyway? He was my only light in the darkness. But I wouldn't hold anything against him if he were to slam the door in my face. I couldn't help it; no matter what I always hurt him. Why didn't I just run away from him, it wasn't like Hairo could help me. His heart was still sore from my betrayal.

"You're so much smaller in this world," he said to me.

And my eyes widened. I gasped and stopped sobbing for a moment as I seemed to hear one lone drop of rain over all others. Almost a cry. Because his voice symbolized this drop. All the water and overcast in the world could not equal the strain in his voice when he spoke those words. Not as if he'd been crying. But like he'd given up on something. And there was nothing but hollow meaning behind his words.

For the first time, I looked up and saw that a new smile was formed on his face. Something that came through tired eyes. Eyes that looked at me and saw only regret. His smile was bitter as he began, "You're still a kid here.."

I was worried of that look in his eyes, "Hairo?" I sniffled through a red, blotchy expression.

"I wish it wouldn't have to be you to see this," He said as his dead smile widened more.

"What..What are you talking about?" I said, directing my attention on his problems instead of mine.

He fuzzed up my hair the same way he'd always had during practice, "Hey, don't you ever grow up," He smiled, "When you're little, it's always so much more fun."

I winced while he rubbed my head, but I managed to gaze at him one last time as his hand glided off my hair. I grabbed his hand shortly after, but he pulled it away.

The tune of the cross walk went off. And I wished I was quick at the moment. Or maybe I wished I was Kurai-Hime, because maybe I could stop him. But who was I kidding? The cars came too fast. His actions were too timed. I could do nothing.

He took one step into the street, a moment after the little man turned red. And everything was quiet. I tuned out the sound of the rain as the yellow umbrella was crushed up against the broken windshield. Everything was strangely slowed. I heard a sharp sound, and it seemed my body reacted faster than my mind. Because I had screamed and was rushing over to where the red veil had cascaded across the asphalt. It had mixed with the water and drained into the sewage pipes. Laying like road kill, was what dented the car and left the driver speechless. Fear swept over me of seeing something on TV. Fear that a continuous flatline would haunt me.

My shoes clacked in those useless puddles of water.

Blood.

Real blood.

This wasn't fake.

* * *

"Hoshino!" Hiyori exclaimed, busting through the doors to the hospital. Hairo Hoshino. Hiyori called him by his last name. She also called him boss. Probably because he was her boss in REM.

I gazed up from the waiting room and rushed over to her. In this white world that smelled of Lysol, I grabbed on to both of her hands, my face blotchy with tears.

"What happened to the boss?" She asked me.

I shook my head, "He just..walked right out in front of those car...I couldn't stop him-" I began, my voice breaking again. This situation. It reminded of what had happened with my mother; though I wasn't there when that happened. This was far more mortifying.

Hiyori's brown eyes widened in dismay. She tightened her grip on my hands, that was the only thing that could keep me on the earth. And even though we were both usually not the type to hold hands, this was an occasion worthy of our overlooking of morals.

"So then, how is he?" Hiyori questioned.

"I don't know, they said that he's pretty bad," I said, leading her to a seat. I took the one next to her.

She buried her hands in her hair and whispered softly, "You think it's because of his father?" She asked.

"Huh?" I asked.

She stared at me and said slowly, "You mean, you don't know?"

Whatever I didn't know, I should probably know now. Because I felt torn apart.

"Let me ask you something," she began, "have you ever considered asking about Hairo's past?" She asked. And then it suddenly felt like the glass shattered. Or a bathtub overflowed. I suddenly felt a drowning feeling, a pain for which I had never felt. Because my eyes were blood shot with grief, but it dawned on me that I had no right to be grieving. I'd never care for others problems, and instead, shoving mine in their faces. I could only be brought speechless by what she had to say next, "A few years back, Mr. Hoshino, Hairo's dad, was announced with liver cancer," Hiyori finished.

I was shocked as she continued, "And just a few months ago, it was declared to be terminal," She explained.

I shook my head, "No, Hairo's always happy and-"

"Even the most free have their secrets. Don't you ever wonder why he always smiles? It's for his dad." she said.

I watched her lips in horror as she assumed her words, "His father received a transplant, but his cancer burned through it. Any chance of him getting a second was close to none."

"So you're saying...?" I asked, hoping that Hiyori was not assuming the worst.

"We both know Hoshino. Why not donate an organ to a dying man?"

Everything was quiet for a second. I processed what I had stepped into. Who I should have foreseen but was too blinded with my own affairs. My selfishness; I never knew it would lead me to overlooking a life and death situation. I was with Hairo more than anyone, and yet I never saw this. Why. It hurt some much to feel so powerless. Everything in the world could not grant me the strength to deal with this situation. Because it was beyond anyone's control. And what little doctors could do may be what kept him in the balance.

"I called the rest of the soccer team and told them to go get Yuzu and the others. Who all knows about his father?" I asked.

"Anyone who cares about him." Hiyori said.

Ouch, that stung.

"So then, we can guess that his friends are going to figure out his intentions?" I asked.

She nodded.

I drew my hand up over my face, "What are we going to do?"

"This is the boss's choice. He probably thought this over and expected we'd react this way. Hoshino has his reasons, which we have to have faith in." Hiyori said. In a so much stronger tone than mine. Over the months, I had become soft. A softness with strength it might be called.

A doctor emerged from the twin doors of the ICU. He was frowning and shaking his head.

In some ways, it felt like The Flood. Because I was the controlling type. And I was put in a situation where all I could do was trust another. I balled my hands into fists and braced myself for impact. I was going to try something new. I didn't want to be this way anymore. To point out my obvious flaw that were harming people. To not do anything about these flaws. I was going to change, even in the slightest way.

I was going to trust him. For whatever my pathetic heart was worth, I accepted the fact that I couldn't do anything. And I left myself open to whatever news may come.

* * *

The thunder cracked so loud that it seemed the devil was beating his wife. I shot up with a start and heaved and very deep breath. I had been sweating all night and my sheets were drenched. As I looked around my room, I saw nothing out of the ordinary, and no wet Otaku Cafe outfit.

Overjoyed, I rushed over to my cell phone, charging at the desk near my dresser. I ripped the charger out and stabbed my fingers on the buttons.

"_Karin? Why are you calling me so late?_" I heard, that same deep voice, as pleasant as ever. It was sleepy, though. I probably woke him up. Over the phone, he sounded healthy, though. I was so happy.

I sobbed right then and there, so joyous that it was all a dream.

"_I had such a bad nightmare,_" I told him.

"_Oh really._." He said, half asleep still.

I was quiet as he continued to talk. I tuned out the meaning of his words and just focused on that sweet tune. That which I'd thought I'd lost in my dream. His voice.

"_Hey Hairo,_" I said, interrupting him.

"_What?_" He asked, yet again in his sleepy voice.

"_Why don't you tell me about your family?_" I said.

"_Why do you want to know. It's too early anyway._" he informed.

"_Because I care about you,_" I said, mimicking Hiyori's words to me.

"_That's a change of heart. Considering what happened in REM,_" he said.

My eyes widened. I'd almost forgotten about that. The event with Toshiro and I in the forest. It almost seemed like part of the dream.

I sighed, "_Oh. About that-_"

"_Listen, I know I turned you down at the Tea House. And I kinda deserved it and all...But I__guess I was just a little shocked at first. Sorry for not...With you...You know,_" He said, tripping over his words.

Just like him to find the most positive reasoning behind everyone's actions. It was so uplifting. Hearing his voice after the horrifying nightmare.

"_I'm so happy you're alive,_" I mustered.

"_Wait..Did I ever die?_" He asked.

I shook my head and made sure to smile with such glee, "_Hairo, why did you tell me that it's better not to grow up?_"

"_Eh? I never said that.._"

"_Well, if you told me that, why do you think you would?_" I asked

"_I guess..I don't know! Because being an adult sucks._"

"_That's a terrible answer!_" I said.

"_Don't expect good responses at 3 in the morning._" He groans.

"_Oh I know!_" He said after a second in silence. His half-dead voice suddenly brightened up, though it was still hoarse from the night's sleep, "_I asked you to stay young because you're so little now! It's so cute!"_

I shut the phone off, in frustration. I was not cute. How could he make such a deep question so unbelievable pedophile-like.

If I didn't know him. I'd assume he was a child molester right then and there. But somewhere in the back of my mind, the events of my dream did reflect something I needed to change. Something that had been tormenting me. My subconscious wanted it fixed.

My addictive personality. But that of course meant, getting rid of all the drugs. And my heroine was definitely Toshiro.

********

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Very short because this is the depressing chappy XD Things start heating up from here. ^^ You guys'll have a lot to talk to me about in those reviews!**

**Review Review Review!**

**Reviewers to thank: **

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ThornedSunflower'

**Hey ya'll, why only 9 reviews? Did I do something wrong?**

**~*RukiaRocks*~ **


	10. Betrayal is where Trust was

Betrayal is where Trust was

**(Quick Author's Note: exp. = experience. Pronounced (X-Pee))**

I was going to detox from boys. Mainly, him. That was all I wanted to do. That was my only goal. And that was all I resolved to do. Though it soon became much harder than what I imagined.

* * *

"Again!" my trainer yelled.

In sweat drenched clothes, I gritted my teeth and heaved my leg up again. I crashed into the red target quite unevenly and it wobbled on the trainer's hand. He held it down, even once more, and tried to force it down to the ground, with the flat of my foot still beneath it.

I struggled and grumbled as the man stood there, pressuring my foot and groaning as I fought to stay where I was. Still held there, in the same position, I felt a rush of sharp aches down my leg. The stand off was over as his hand began to win, pushing me down.

I swung my food away and panted insanely.

"You're not kicking aggressively enough; I seem to recall your kicks being 3 times as powerful as what they are now!" my trainer exclaimed.

I put my hands on my knees and huffed in deep breaths, "I...Guess I'm just...Out of...Practice."

"This is far more than a few months of rust; I dare say you've turned into a little girl," he said.

"Who the hell cares what I am!" I yelled, resolving to try another front kick. The target met my foot. I kept my hands in to help balance, but that same pang of weakness ran throughout my leg and I pulled it down hesitantly.

I staggered back a step or two and swung my fist at his face, he blocked it with the target. I drew away and round-house kicked him through the side of his face; blocked with crossed arms.

I backed up again, "I'm so much weaker than I thought.." I moaned, plopping on my butt, legs, chest, and upper arms throbbing from just and hour of light training.

"I thought you quit Martial Arts to improve that kick of yours," he taunted, "looks more like you quit to go to the spa."

"Soccer season is over!" I argued.

"Ah, your attitude has changed too, I see. You know, I doubt I would have ever heard you giving an excuse to not exercise. But here the complaints are, spewing out out your mouth," he said, a disgusted look drawing over his old, wrinkled face. His black and gray hair made him look like some weird sage. "Pain and sweat are part of getting stronger. Now get up, or I may rethink teaching you."

I sat where I was.

He burst out in a strained tone, "Get up!"

I stood up rebelliously, but I rethought everything when I heard my trainer mumble to himself, "Just like a spoiled child.."

It was true. To get away from boys, I wanted to become stronger. I wanted something to focus on, other than them. I wanted. I wanted. I wanted. Too selfish. I didn't know what to do, though. I wanted to back off, but everything I did just made me seem that much more girly. Why was I so defiant? I came to this trainer because he took me in as his student when I was young. I felt stronger under him than I ever had in soccer. And even though I wanted to get strong again, I wanted it instantly. Why?

This was where I was strongest. And I came back here to become strong again. I was going to cooperate; because pain and sweat was part of getting stronger. I was as weak as I was at 2 years old. I had never dealt with this weakness before. I was a tomboy for as long as I could remember. And now I had to suddenly become one again. It was weird because I knew what to do, but I just couldn't do it as fast as I could plan it. So slow. I wasn't very patient.

My trainer said that nostalgic word that he'd always told me. That would that pushed my forward, "Again!" he yelled, and I rose to meet him.

* * *

_In the Game_

Hiyori furiously swung her sword down toward me, It shrieked as I met her blade with equal strength. Our blades shook and cried as we pressured the two together.

"Good..."she said, observing me.

I grinned, "Thanks."

I forced her back. And as she slid in the dirt, eyes wide in surprise, a smile drew across her face.

"You're upper body strength is increasing," She grinned.

I pushed her sword off mine and quickly slashed a clean, deep cut through her arm. She staggered backward as the wound spat out fresh blood.

"**-500 hp**," the announcer said.

Then suddenly, all my wounds healed and the ground below me lit up with a white ring of light. Out of the dirt, the ring formed balls of light that rose up and surrounded me.

"**Level up! Player Kurai-Hime is now level 489!**" the announcer proclaimed.

"See what happens when you're on the ball?" Hiyori flaunted in my face. She put her hands on her hips, "Though I'm not the one to thank for your progress!" she said in amazement.

Hiyori was now a visible level to me. Toshiro remained "incomprehensible". However, I was determined to reach his level bracket. Hiyori was level 508; she told me that even she couldn't see Toshiro's level. That meant he had to have been at least level 700.

"I'm still not where I want to be; if I don't work harder, I'll never win the tournament!" I said.

"Don't get too absorbed now," she laughed, "You really like that computer character, huh?" She'd made it a habit to call Toshiro "computer character" ever since she figured out I was the infamous Kurai-Hime and he was the Ice Lord.

"I'm winning this tournament to kick his ass. I never liked boys in the first place!" I said, poising my sword forward.

"Sure, you may not like boys..But you like that boy," she laughed again, ignoring any signals to move on with the training.

"Would you quit it." I sighed.

"Face it, as a tomboy, you're far from redemption. All those magazines say the same thing about you and your lovey-dovey romances. Even I know you're the reincarnation of Bella Swan." she taunted.

"And since when are you looking at magazines?" A voice asked, accompanied by a large hand that planted itself in Hiyori's hair.

She glared back up and spat out, "Because I care about my student, unlike you."

His blue eyes sparkled as a mocking smile spread across his face. A smile that was so unlike his common trade mark smile; but he gave me that old Hairo smile as he gave me a quick glance and ruffled up Hiyori's hair, "No, you were looking through them for some new pick up lines," he laughed, then turned to me, "Hiccup here's got herself a little crush!"

She swatted his hand off her head and snarled, "Do not! And would you quit call me that!"

"It's that new Co-leader, isn't it? I heard you met him at a game convention and it was love at first sight!" He laughed.

She bashed him in the back of the head, the way I always did, and chased him around, continuing to beat him. When she finally stopped, she blushed slightly, "It was a martial arts tournament...and anyway..." She looked up furiously, fist balled and cheeks puffed in a pout-y fashion, "And I don't like him! He's an annoying pain in the ass!" she exclaimed.

"Oh really," he smiled evilly, "then why do you have bells in your hair? You buy them from the REM New Years Clothing Cato log?"

I never noticed, but Hiyori's two hair rubber bands where replaced by sparkling hair ribbons with a pair of silver bells attached to each bow. Maybe I tuned out the noise, but they really glittered and jingled if you knew they were there.

Hiyori coughed and began anxiously, "Anyways, if Karin wants to even look at that guy's level, she was to be at least triple her level now."

"I what?" I asked, shocked.

"What guy?" he asked.

"Why are you even here, Hairo?" I responded to him.

His smile turned up even more, "Is it a big deal? Who's this guy anyway?" Hiyori shivered at his smile. She always hated his over optimism. But as he drew closer to me, I shivered as well with the fear that I might loose all of my progress. Detoxing from boys was hard. And it was that easy to get back on them.

At the same time, both Hiyori and I rushed over to Hairo, spun his brunette self around, and pushed him back in the direction he came.

"Get that creepy smile of yours outta here," Hiyori said.

"You need to go." I said, quite lamely. But it was all I could do to keep from blushing. Me and my crazy hormones. Some times nothing could be blamed for me "Bella" moments. Getting off drugs was hard...Or maybe, since I was detoxing, I was drunk on guys instead. Ack! Who cares, that wasn't the point.

When we finally got Hairo out of the way, Hiyori continued explaining what she had attempted to let out, "I know for a fact that you will never reach equal rank with that computer character before the tournament," Hiyori began.

"Why not?" I asked in dismay. Where did this come from anyway? Why didn't she tell me before?

"Because he has an element? You can only specialize beyond class if you're level 1000 or above!" She informed me.

"W-what?" I said, before thinking. My head was in a jumbled. All I understood was "Level 1000".

Hiyori sighed and began irritably, "Rule one for rising warriors; at level 30, you can acquire a class. That's something like a thief or magician. If helps you narrow your fields and focus your exp. more. You can ultimately level 2 times faster than normal, If you have class.

"Rule two: at level 1000, you can level triple time by specializing even more with an element. Now I've seen that computer character fight; and by the looks of it, he has the element at Ice. And that alone says he has to be level 1000 or above. You know, I didn't even know NPCs could get elements..." She said, stopping herself before she got off topic. But that was interesting, maybe Toshiro's hair style and everything changed because he leveled..But never mind that, what was she talking about?

"Class? Element?" I asked, my head still spinning. "I've never heard of anything like that..."

"I'm telling you all of this for a reason. Obviously you wouldn't know about it or else I wouldn't be expl-" She stopped, mid sentence, and stared at me, "Wait does that mean that you never chose a class?"

"Well I became level 201 instantly after finding Toshiro. So...Guess not!" I laughed, scratching the back of my head and getting my brain working for a moment.

"To have progressed so far...With nothing but a general focus of exp..." Hiyori whispered to herself.

An then, she suddenly snagged my hand and pulled me away with her. Her blond pig tails jingled with the bell ribbons as she ran. I remembered what Hairo had mentioned and smiled, realizing that every girl must go through the same thing at one point in time. Boy troubles.

She sped down the dirt training area faster than humanly possible; the same quick speed she demonstrated when I first met her. No one else knew was as quick as her.

Hiyori ran past trainer after trainer and their students. I caught a glimpse of Yuzu training in the coniferous training environment. The dirt/desert environment was the largest of all training areas and took up over 75% of the training hall. Of course there were other environments, but Hiyori chose to focus on my training rather than preparing me for different weather conditions.

Yuzu began to call my name, but I zipped by her too fast for any sound to be heard. What was amazing was that I was keeping up with Hiyori's speed. Maybe it was because she was touching me; but I wasn't even panting from the run.

Then, all of a sudden, her feet slid to a halt and I slammed into her back with an "oomph!". When I looked in the direction Hiyori was looking, my eyes widened in surprise.

Panting, as they both were, both their eyes still burned with determination. Neither of them noticed us as one foot slid back, and a hand poised a sword. Two weapons clashed and a gust of wind blew from the source of the impact, out in either direction.

Fiercely, they refused to back down to one another; like typical boys. Blue eyes glistened against teal, and at their feet, rings of white air formed. Their blades shrieked as neither of them budged in the dirt. Then all of a sudden, the rings blazed; one with ice, one with fire.

"Whoa..." I mumbled. Immediately, everything stopped at the sound of my voice. The two boys paused in their stances, both fire and icy auras dissipating.

White hair and dark brown dripped with sweat as two all-too-familiar faces turned toward me. I wanted to shrink and disappear at the sight of them. But, in the end, you have to_ face_ your weaknesses in order to top them.

I swallowed hard and tried to avoid another "Bella" moment. Though it was hard not to notice how weird I felt seeing them both sweaty; I had a thing for sweaty people.

I wasn't sure if I should've apologized for interrupting them, so I just stood there. But then Hiyori grabbed my arm and stormed up to Hairo. He leaned down and put his hands on his knees, mockingly, "What's up, Hiyori-Chan?"

She threw my arm to the side and put her hands on her hips, "Don't call me -Chan either. And what's up with you!" She barked, "You were this fool's teacher for—what—three weeks? And you didn't so much as tell her about class!"

"What're you talking about?" he asked, becoming serious and giving the petite girl a confused look.

"She's level 489 and she doesn't have a class yet!"

"You don't have a class?" Hairo said, turning toward me in astonishment.

"Her progress is ridiculous, even if she had a class. But...What do you think?" Hiyori asked him.

Hairo stared at me for a moment, "Already that far in just a few days?" He turned to Hiyori and began yapping about stuff I didn't understand. All the while, I noticed Toshiro out of the corner of my eye. He looked on as if trying to avoid me. There was no way. I mean, sure he'd changed a lot. But that was just because of his appearance, right? When he got a higher level, his hair style changed. That's all. There was no way there could be so much difference in him as to be level 1000!

I shriveled up my nose and walked over to him. He'd changed so much. Too much. He turned toward me and waited for me to reach him. I balled my hands into fists and began slowly, "Duel me." I looked him straight in the eye.

Silence came and the coldness in Toshiro's eyes had also changed. It had intensified; the longer he was away from me, the more he seemed to forget me. It was a relentless stare. As if I were a newly born puppy, dropped at the mercy of a demon.

Then he said plainly, "No.

"An act of mercy. You won't win against me." he said, brushing my shoulder as he glided by me.

I turned around and thrust my fist at his back. That was when Hiyori and Hairo stopped talking and looked my direction.

"I don't think you know me then," I said, my hand drawing closer to his center back.

He turned around suddenly and grabbed my wrist forcing me forward. He used his grip on me to force me onto my butt. And with sheer strength, he used his foot to pin me in place.

"I really wished you would've used your brain and walked away," he sighed.

I grabbed his ankle and tugged him down on the ground. I rolled over on top of him. Slamming my hands down on either side of his face, I growled, "Are you suggesting I don't use my brain?" I had a tone of threat in my voice.

"Not hardly; you don't even have one." he retorted.

I snorted and began to say something when the collar of my training uniform was tugged. I was pulled backward while I saw Hairo helping Toshiro up.

"Your student seems to have a lot of potential. But she won't measure up mine." Hairo taunted, pointing his thumb back at Toshiro as if advertising his pride and confidence in him. Unlike your stereo-typical boys obsessing over the same girl(not to say I thought they were obsessing over me), these two seemed very friendly rather than deadly. I wondered why...

"Hey, You're part of my team. Don't have so much confidence in the enemy!" I snarled at Hairo.

"We're not enemies...Yet." Toshiro said in a rather matter-of-factually tone.

"Alright! You love birds creep me out with your damn drama! Burn all your heartbreak in the tournament." She turned her gaze toward Hairo and began irritably, "Now, continuing from where we left off; I'm asking you kindly to let me in on your secret." Hiyori began.

"Everyone knows Karin has as much potential as anyone in this training facility! Yet your student manages to at least triple her progress in half the time!" She said with a piercing glare, "So, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." She said, poising herself for some sort of combat.

Now I kinda wished I'd listened to their conversation. What was this sudden tension in the air?

Hairo calmly walked over to Hiyori and plated his hand in her hair. Then, the evilest smile slid across his face. It was almost menacing.

"I'm pretty sure you already know the answer to his progress." he opened his eyes and stopped smiling sending her an intense stare, "Do you really think _she_ won't figure it out too?

What were they talking about?

He ruffled her pony tails and smiled, "But, if you must know, it's all about technique." he smiled, "When you have a killing technique, you'll get more exp. and level faster.

He turned toward me and winked, "But you're not too good with technique, are you?"

I gripped my two fists together and burst out childishly, "I can do anything you guys can! And besides, I'm already a higher level than you are!" I remembered back to when Hairo told me he wasn't the "best" player like the REM ratings said. He was right. There were tons of people better than him. And now, I was one of them.

He laughed and said simply, "Check again..."

Hairo and Toshiro did the courtesy of leaving their own training area. They knew that both I and Hiyori were too hot headed to back down.

I scrolled down Hairo's active bar and checked his level. My eyes widened slowly as I gasped; "incomprehensible".

* * *

I lifted my leg up in the highest kick I could. Then, suddenly, Hiyori slammed her hands into my back so that my leg was forced onto the ground. It was flattened, parallel with the ground and with my other leg, on the opposite side. I felt my hip pop out of socket and an unimaginable sting that streamed down the blood veins that were spread trough my split legs.

The birds flew away as I let out a horrific howl of pain. The training area we were on was different from the desert/dirt arena. This environment was the rain forest. It was lacking in most animal life that was potentially physically harming, but there were birds here. The only thing that was absolute was its moist floor which regrettably wet my underwear when I performed my first split. The forest floor was dark brown with highly fertilized soil. All of the foliage was so tall and thick that nothing could grow on the ground, and you couldn't see farther than 30 feet away. The temperatures were hot and humid, terrible for wounds. And if the real dwellers of this biome were to be here, I'd have even more to deal with. If the tournament took place here; I'd have a lot of problems.

The birds chirped as they flew away and my screech rang past the thickness of the forest, out to the desert environment.

"It'll take you 2 weeks to do a split naturally. So I sped up the process." I heard that same tomboy say.

I reared back, in the same position, eyes watering. I gritted my teeth and barked, "You could have at least given me a warning!" I flung my head back and looked at my knee and leg lying out before me. It hurt so bad. I winced at the pain and held back tears. Why did this have to be part of my training?

"That's right, keep back those tears." Hiyori informed. She walked beside me and sat next to me. "Oh come on," she said, "get out of that position and quit being a drama queen." Difficult though it was, I swallowed the pain and pulled my leg back to center. I put both my legs straight out in front of me and rubbed them relentlessly. Hiyori began irritably, "You know, the old you would've shown even the slightest hint of tears."

My eyes widened but I looked down in shame. It was true; even though I had vowed to detox from boys, my personality was still out of whack. Did I really adapt to change that badly? I used to break my leg and not let out so much as a yelp. It was so that I wouldn't burden my family with my sorrow. What ever made me believe it was suddenly ok to be so disgusting? I hated who I was, yet I couldn't help it. I was girly. Wimpy. I wasn't myself. I lusted after entities which used to be my companions(and thought of as only that). I had hormones now! Boobs! Nothing about me was the same. And I adapted to change in the worst way possible.

"You're out of your playing field. It freaked me out too: seeing that the body you're in now is your future self. It's a little too much to handle, huh?" She asked.

I blinked twice and wondered who it was next to me. Hiyori was never the one to use _sympathy_ as a drive for training.

"Listen-" She began, but then a voice yelled over her.

"Hey! Duck!" a male voice called.

Instinctively, Hiyori obliged to the yell and flattened herself to the ground. Sitting right next to her, I panicked for a moment, looking down at her, cross-legged with her hands pressed closely to the ground. Just as I was about to follow her lead and hug the ground, I felt a sharp sensation run across my right arm. For a moment, it stung. But then, the pain dulled and all I could do was wipe the blood off my skin and look up at the culprit for my wound.

There before me, was a man about the age of Ichi-nii. He had this really scary looking smile that revealed all of his teeth. His eyes too, were a mocking aura. His species seemed to be human, but he could have been some sort of demon..Looked freaky enough to me. With yellow hair that was cropped in straight bangs and hair reaching just before his shoulders, he was anything but dated in his retro-style hair cut. Still, he was fit and just as tall as Hairo and Toshiro. He lifted his left hand up and a weapon flew by me and into his lifted hand.

The weapon was a peculiar shaped blade that curved in like the talons of an Eagle. It was small and was most likely a throwing weapon because of its hilt which was a circlet that fit like a ring around the finger of the man. On the tip of it, was a dark red blemish. My blood.

He winced and laughed oddly, "Oh ah...Sorry 'bout that." He bowed briefly in my direction.

Hiyori immediately jumped to her feet, the bells in her hair jingling madly. She balled her hands into fists and yelled, "Shinji you idiot! Where were you aiming?"

"Oh, hey Hiyori, I didn't know you were training in this part of the forest," he gave her an I'm-Innocent smile that was so obviously fake.

"What kind of a trainer are you? All of us are required to document what area we're training in so that we don't get too close; so that something like this doesn't happen." Hiyori growled, pointing to me and my tiny wound.

They went on sort-of bickering. Mostly Hiyori chewing out the man. But as they bickered, I heard the bells in Hiyori's hair jingle even louder as she surged forward with her fists balled and her mouth screaming. My eyes widened as I suddenly realized that this man must've been the guy she liked. No wonder...

"Hey, are those bells in your hair?" the man asked.

She stopped, processing what he asked, and then she crossed her arms, turning away in a flushed state, "N-no.."

He drew his hands over her pony tails and fluffed them up, sending the bells jingling their sweet tune, "They look cute." he smiled.

She turned red for a moment and then angrily punched him in the stomach,.

"Idiot." She mumbled, turning away again.

I muffled my laughter, _Definitely _in love. Such a cute relationship too.

Then suddenly, a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from where Hiyori and the man were. I ran deep into the rain forest, where the birds chirped louder and the insects began to join in the orchestra. I stepped in the moist soil and finally came to a stop. That's when I looked up at the person who led me away. From the back, I still knew who he was. Those same muscular features applied to his back side, and let's not forget his unkept, dark brown hair. Certainly Hairo.

He turned around to face me, a more serious look on his face. More serious than usual, at least.

Blue eyes said too much for words, while the lips quickly tried to convey the impossible, "What was she talking about?" Hairo said.

"What?" I asked.

"Earlier today, Hiyori asked me why I didn't teach you about class. But the problem is, I never even taught you long enough to know your fighting style."

I looked down and averted his eyes as he began, "And then before that, she spoke to you about beating a certain guy. As if your whole reason for training was him."

He let go of my wrist and began over the music of the forest, "Tell me, was Toshiro your trainer?"

I didn't answer.

"Before Hiyori, was he the one who trained you?"

I crossed my arms and began defensively, "What does it matter?"

He grabbed both my wrists and pushed me back with his strength. I tried to fight him off, but again, I was not strong enough. Pinning me up against one of the moist trees, covered in greens vine life, Hairo gave me that same pained look again. The one that made me look away in agony. I'd hurt him too many times over.

"Everything matters." he said.

I tried not to look at him, but he kept staring at me, just the same, "Does he matter to you that much?"

"Don't make it sound like something it's not." I said.

"Then what is it!" he yelled, suddenly.

The small light that fell in through the tops of the trees had been slowly fading. And now it was not visible. Though the sky of the dome was fake, it set and rose like the sky of REM. Night had fallen. And now that birds no longer sang, but the chirping of the crickets remained. The only noise I could listen to. The only thing I could rely on to tune out Hairo's voice. I couldn't give in. Not while I was this close to detoxing from boys. To becoming who I used to be.

Everything was silent for awhile. And then Hairo laughed to himself and let his head rest on my shoulder, "Of course I find the only girl in the world who has to choose between me and a perfect NPC..."

I felt my heart start to pace. I predicted the question he'd ask next. I wasn't ready for it, and I prayed he wouldn't ask it.

"I'm sorry." he said, and my eyes widened in surprise.

"I shouldn't be so protective..."

Why was he always so nice and considerate. It almost hurt me to see his overbearing kindness. Something I could never return.

I wiggled one of my hands free from his grasp and gripped his training uniform tightly.

He lifted his head up and smiled at me; that same genuine smile, "I'm not going to make you choose. But I will ask something of you." he began.

I got up off the wet tree and moved away from him, "Sure, ask away."

"Would you grant me one New Years Dance?" he said, still grinning a bit mischievously.

"What? But it's not even New Year-" I began, blushing slightly. God this was not good for detoxing...

"Who cares. It isn't that kind of dance anyway," he said, holding out his hand.

Then, like a manga, two swords appeared on the ground beneath him, lodged in the ground, sheath and all.

He grabbed one for himself and tossed the other to me. He unsheathed some of the blade to check its luster. Sharp and bright enough to reflect what little light came in through the thick forest.

"You wanna fight me?" I asked.

He fully unsheathed his sword and threw the sheath to the side, "I wouldn't joke about this sort of thing."

"B-but there's no room," I said, feeling suddenly so handicap with all of these trees around.

"Then make room." he replied, pushing off of the soil and running toward me.

His sword clashed with mine once, and then twice. It was too fast for me to keep up with. I stepped back once and leaned backwards to avoid his blade. I soon found myself instinctively backing up to deal with the pressure of his blows. But this..This was not like the fire he had when he battled Toshiro today. He was taking it easy on me. But he didn't with Toshiro. No, he and Toshiro seemed to be friends. Strange that they were. Most likely because Hairo has a habit of seeing the good in everyone and believing that it can shine through.

"Hairo.." I said as I leaped backward, in order to distance myself. I was panting and dripping with sweat from the fast, strength of his blows.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I was just...Wondering why you and Toshiro are so close...And how you both leveled so fast..." I said. He was more than likely in the same level bracket as Toshiro. They probably trained each other, getting better progressively over time. But I didn't know if even Hairo could find it in his heart to befriend Toshiro; after all, he was something of his rival. Toshiro himself said he didn't like Hairo from the start.

"If I like your dancing, I might tell you." he responded, proceeding to continue our fight.

I tried to remember again and again. Technique. Technique. My feet need to move in a set pattern. Like a...Like a dance! My eyes widened as I saw what Hairo was trying to tell me. Fighting technique isn't hard if you think of it like the choreography of dancing. Then the weapons are your props, they have to be an extension of yourself in order to flow correctly in the dance. Yuzu took dance and I'd watched her try to use batons and streamers when she lacked the capacity to dance and preform simultaneously. And just like in soccer, we had to memorize steps; the basics so that we can flow with the ball when the game started. I didn't have to fight using only learned steps; but if I understand the basics, I can form a style that's best for me.

I stopped trying to focus on two things at once. Blocking Hairo's blows and matching my footwork. I'd have no time to try to go for an opening. I let my feet flow they way they'd naturally pick up the ball in a game. I focused all my energy on meeting Hairo's blade and looking for an opening. Then finally, my eyes shot opened as I saw his center was finally venerable. I forced his sword away and drew mine back toward his stomach. But that opening closed as his blade met mine once more.

He made a tisk-tisk noise from his mouth and laughed, shaking his index finger in my face, "You can't end it that easily."

Again, the relentless attacks began at lightning speed. Finally, I gave up looking for openings and focused purely on his attacks. He never had one opening. Never.

I drew tired as I struggled to block his blows. Finally, I felt the hard tree behind me and the back blade of my sword grazing me cheek. My blade quivered as I began to loose strength in my limbs. Finally, in my last bit of strength, I forced him off and used my strongest body part, my legs. I lifted one of my legs up high. I prepared to kick him but found him swinging his sword at me again. Before I could think, I had to detain him in some way. And there was no way to use my sword from this angle. So I too my leg and forced it down on the back of his neck, keeping him down. I curled my foot in so that stayed down. Then, I used my leg to pressure him down until he fell forward, then I used my foot to guide him up. In short, I accidentally used my leg to make him front flip.

His sword slid across the ground and I looked at him and at the sword, confused at what I'd done.

He quickly rolled over to his sword and met me again. The second time I was forced into the same situation, my leg instinctively kicked him, but I was aware of my action and used my sword in the action, successfully slashing him once, through the neck. Eventually, Hairo kept imitating the same situation until I got what I was doing. Extend leg. Wrap around head, Turn until sword is poised. Decapitation. Though it felt weird to have a guy so close to my..Ahem...Lady parts. It was an affective way to take advantage of my body. I didn't really hurt Hairo though...He had too much HP to be affected by any of my blows.

Finally, the sword in my hand disappeared into red smoke, as did Hairo's. "Congrats." he said, "You've created your signature killing blow."

"Huh?" I asked.

"I told you that you need technique to level faster. This move will kill your target in one blow and give you the maximum exp. per kill." he began, "A late New Years gift; discovering the act that will win you the tournament."

"That's why you fought me?" I asked.

"Well Hiccup is too obsessed with guys to worry about training you. And you've gotta work fast to catch up to Toshiro, right?" he winked.

With some sort of relief, I suddenly felt the pain that stretched down my legs. My muscled had strained themselves in the heat of the moment, the adrenalin had caused me to forget I'd just done a split and probably torn a few tendons. Hairo quickly rushed over and grabbed my hand so that I wouldn't fall. I looked up and saw his blue eyes, and I felt a bit of triumph. I'd learned that you could use a bit of everything. Sometimes the basics can form who you are.

That's why I finally understood that being myself doesn't mean going back to being a complete tomboy; but completely changing myself won't help my self-satisfaction either. I had to find a balance. And somehow, by achieving one move in this RPG game, I had found myself in the process. For once since I found Toshiro, I was some how happy with who I was.

"So you really think I have a chance at beating him? But just this morning you were saying that I couldn't beat him-" I started to say.

"Do you really think that I'd have such little faith in you?" Hairo questioned, gripping my hand tighter. "After you get your class, your level will sky rocket."

I remembered what Hairo had promised me earlier. "That's right!" I began, "Hey, aren't you supposed to tell me how to level faster."

"I already did, your killing blo-"

"You and Toshiro leveled to almost triple what you two used to be. Hiyori was right, there's no way simple technique could breed such progress." I said.

"You're right," he said, "but I'm not the one you should be asking this question."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He walked me over to a tree and helped me sit up against the trunk. Then he continued,"Consider Toshiro's appearance which has changed dramatically as he switched masters. Then, thinking about his personality and determination which has led him to become the level he is. Such characteristics can be reflected as his will. But as you and I both know, he still has feelings for you. So it doesn't make sense for his mind to willingly forget you and focus on leveling." Hairo explained.

"What are you getting at?" I dared ask. This was turning into something I couldn't understand. Hairo was just as good as Toshiro when it came to examining the details.

"I think Toshiro slowly resets his system whenever he switches masters. He conforms his appearance, personality, and skills to the liking of his owner. In essence, being cold to you is not his act. He has actually been rebooted to have absolutely no feelings for you." Hairo explained, "I've been watching him, and he acts as though he's perfectly fine with me. I think that last night in the forest was the last willful act the old Toshiro gave before giving up; I think the person I'm training now isn't the Toshiro we know."

"W-what?" I questioned.

"Toshiro and I leveled so quickly because his raw determination and skill pushed me to work harder as his trainer. We trained each other. His will to become strong is linked to his new master's expectations of him. So essentially, Toshiro may be a pet that was designed to please his user." Hairo informed.

"So then..You mean that Momo is ordering Toshiro to become stronger?" I asked.

"Not Momo." Hairo responded.

My eyes widened as he continued to try and explain, "When you first found Toshiro, one of your wishes for him was to develop emotion. That, he did rapidly and skillfully as though he had already known it. With his emotions, he was able to defy you as his master by speaking out for or against your actions.

"But with Momo, he has virtually no emotion. Under the influence of his personality, we can assume that Momo wouldn't want Toshiro to disobey her like you so allowed. But he went out of his way to see you on that first day on the training grounds.

"I doubt that it's correct to assume Momo is his master. Tell me, have you seen her around lately? Has Toshiro following her around like he did to you? Has he been trying to please her? No. From all the heartbreak that girl endured, it isn't possible."

"What...Are you getting at?" I asked.

"I leveled as fast as I did because I happened to be training with Toshiro. If he's leveled this fast, it's because his master wants him to. But more than anything, we know Momo can't be his master..."

"You're saying that Toshiro has a master that's been telling him how to level faster?" I asked. "And if it's not Momo, then who is it?"

He was silent for a little while before finally voicing, "Why don't you ask Hiyori?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Hey SOOOOO sorry for the late update. But between midterms, crazy Chinese relatives, Christmas, and New Year, I didn't quite have the time to make the chapter I had planned. But eventually I'll get to what I had foreseen to put in this chapter. Anyways, Happy New Year! Please keep those reviews up! I saw that I seem to be loosing some of you. Don't worry, this chapter did set everything straight. Goodbye hormonal Karin! Though it was so fun to play with you, it doesn't seem like too many of my readers like you, so now you're going forward to your more mature state! Have a great winter season everyone! Review Review Review!**

**Love ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~ **

**Reviewers to thanks:**

**ThornedSunflower**

**HitsuKarin Luver**

**Blueberry Absinth**

**SuperYuuki**

**yellowbutterfly93**

**strawberryfishcakes**

**Nefarious Seraph 13**

**Fatal Kiwi**

**animeholic1**

**Happy belated New Years and Christmas...And whatever the hell sort of holidays that are in the winter! Love ya! **


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